Second Time Around
by melvncholymvmi
Summary: Divorced with a son, this is where they were now. But they're magnets. Always drawn to each other. Even when they didn't want to be. Semi-AU.
1. Chapter 1

Title: _Second Time Around_

Author: Desi

Rating: T+ (for now)

Summary: Divorced with a son, this is where they were now. But they're magnets. Always drawn to each other. Even when they didn't want to be.

A/N: Trying my hand at a little angst. But you know me. I'll place any trigger warnings before any chapters that deserve them.

 ** _for LettyRodriguez01, who wanted to see more parenting._**

* * *

 _Los Angeles, September, Monday 7:16AM_

"Mateo, let's go, _papa_! You're killing me! At this very moment, you're killing _mamí_!" Letty stood at the front door with her son's backpack in her hands and her eyes toward the heavens.

" _Papí_ never rushes me, mom! He understands I'm a complex man who needs a little extra time to get ready."

"Yeah, that's probably why _papí_ is always late, too."

He grabbed his backpack as he rushed by her and headed out to her car.

Letty thought she'd known true love, but when she gave birth and held Mateo in her arms for the first time, she realized she'd never known love like that before. He gave her hell throughout her pregnancy; morning sickness that lasted all nine months, the worst backaches, horrible cramping that had terrified her. He kicked almost nonstop and all she craved was _arroz con pollo_.

Now, she had an eleven-year-old smartass who loved anything that had to do with soccer and his favorite meal? _Arroz con pollo_ , but _only_ when _tía_ Mia made it.

As they pulled up to his elementary school, Letty turned to her son.

" _Papí_ 's picking you up from soccer practice today, cool?"

He nodded once. "Cool."

"You'll hang out with him and _tío_ Jesse at the garage."

"You won't be at work, too?"

"I have a doctor's appointment, but I'll be there right after."

"Okay."

Mateo put his hand out and Letty put hers in it, shaking it and then completing a series of complex moves that made up their secret handshake. They ended with a fist bump that exploded.

"Later, kid."

"Bye mom." He started to exit the car before turning back. "Oh, don't forget back to school night is this Friday."

"You wrote it on every calendar in the house _and_ added it to my phone. I don't think I'll forget, _papa_." She told him.

He grinned, and looked just like his father. "Cool."

Mateo finally left the car and Letty watched him until the doors to the school closed behind him.

* * *

"Hey Jesse." Letty walked into the shop, keys in hand, pushing her sunglasses onto the top of her bed.

"Hey, Let."

"Where's the kid?"

"In the office doing his homework. When did math become so complicated?"

Letty laughed. "You have no idea. When we were young, one plus one was always equal to two. Now they have to create a tree and do all types of shit."

"I thought math was where I was the strongest, but now I'm reconsidering."

She patted him on the back. "It's not you, it's the math."

The brunette walked further into the shop, lightly kicking Leon's leg. He rolled from under the car and smiled at her.

"You're lucky it's you. Otherwise, I'd be kicking ass and taking names."

"Yeah, make it sound good."

From where she stood, she could see into the office. Mateo sat at the desk where Dom normally handled the bills. His head was bent and he was deep in thought. One hand on his forehead and his pencil scribbling away.

"Yo, Cristiano Ronaldo!" Letty called out to him. He turned to look over his shoulder, cheesing when he saw his mom.

"Hey mom!"

"Hey, come on. Focus, you only have one more." She heard. Walking closer to the office, she saw Dom, leaning against the desk to Mateo's right. When she was in sight, Dom looked up at her. He didn't speak before he turned back to his son. "Last one. Always finish as strong as you start."

Dom was a good dad; she could never complain about that. But he was an asshole and he'd been a shit husband. Not completely shit, just enough that Letty was tired of it.

Mateo focused on his last problem and when he finished, Dom checked it over and smiled. He held out his fist and Mateo bumped it with his own.

"Good job. I'm proud of you." Dom placed Mateo's homework in his folder and put the folder into his backpack. "Get your gym bag, your mother's waiting."

Mateo did as he was told.

"Your son needs his sides shaped up again." For a while, Matteo had been obsessed with GQ like his grandfather. So, when he'd turned eleven, Mateo was allowed to shave the sides and back of his head and keep the top longer. He parted it on the left and used a pomeade to slick the longer hair to the side. If he had his way, he'd have a man bun like the soccer player, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"I'm taking him to the barbershop on Saturday." Dom told her without looking at her.

"It needs to be early. It's our last shore weekend."

He finally looked at her. "I know, Letty."

"Mateo, get your bag and put it in the trunk. Make sure _tío_ Jesse or Leon watches you." She handed him her keys and they both watched as he headed out of the office.

When he was out of earshot, Letty turned to her ex-husband.

"What's up your ass, Toretto? Besides the stick that's normally there."

" _I'm_ the one with the stick up my ass?" Dom pointed to himself before he rethought this conversation. "You know what? We're not doing this."

"Doing what? I'm just asking what's wrong."

"Do you really care?"

"I asked, didn't I?"

Dom crossed his arms and Letty put her hands on her hips. "The shop isn't doing too well."

"It'll pick up. You always worry and it always gets better."

He shook his head once. "I don't know. This is different."

"Don't do that." She told him. "You always think things are worse than they are. You did it with us and now you're doing it with the shop."

"How long have you been holding on to that one?" He asked.

Ignoring his question, Letty her hands into the pockets of her jean shorts. "Tony used to say if you think it and say it, you manifest it. Think positive, and put it out there in the Universe."

"Think positive, huh?" He mused aloud. "Remember I used to say that when we were trying to get pregnant?"

Letty sighed.

"Yeah." She pulled her sunglasses from her head and put them back over her eyes. "I remember."

"Mom! Can we get pretzels and water ice for dessert?"

Letty looked at Dom. "Did he have dinner?"

He nodded.

"With something green that's not gummy?"

"Mia made him chicken, potatoes and asparagus."

"Yeah, kid!" She called back.

Dom pulled a wad of cash from his front pocket and peeled off a few big bills, holding them out to Letty.

"No, don't worry about it. You got dinner. I can handle dessert." She turned to leave and he said her name. It was soft, not the way he usually said it.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For dessert?" She teased. "Sure."

"Not for dessert."

She gave him a wink and left.

Dom sat at his desk exactly where his son had been less than ten minutes ago. He loved Mateo and he loved Letty. But he was scared shitless. His marriage to Letty had failed, his business was failing and the only thing he had left that was flourishing was his son. Just like Tony had done right by Dom, Dom was determined to do right by Mateo.

And he and Letty made it clear that if they couldn't give him a two-parent household, they would make sure that it would be stable and Mateo would never see them fighting. Which they did… often.

But moments like tonight, when they could put aside their differences to support one another, it reminded Dom of the good days. Back when he and Letty were happy and nothing could stop them.

She was supposed to be his ride or die. But things changed. He changed and Letty did as well.

And now their happily ever after was gone.

* * *

 _Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School, Friday,6:00PM_

"Jesus, I always get the worst flashbacks when I walk in here." Letty commented.

"That's probably because you were a badass." Dom replied.

"Watch your mouth. This is practically a church."

"No, it's just a school."

"With a chapel, and nuns who spank you with rulers."

"Hey, now that sounds like good role-play."

"You're disgusting."

"I'm a man. Sue me."

"I think this is it." Letty stopped in front of a classroom. A colorful sign boasted, " _Welcome to Room 306: Miss Neves' Sixth Grade Class"_.

They entered the room, and found a few other parents were already there at the desks their children had decorated. They looked around and Letty immediately spotted a colored soccer ball on bright green poster board that read "Mateo".

"Guess which one is your son's desk." Letty said, gesturing with her chin. Dom grinned.

"Couldn't be the one with the soccer ball, could it?"

They sat at his desk and Letty ran a finger across it. So, this is where he sat most days. She had to assume that it was closer to the back of the class because his teacher sat them alphabetically. Suddenly, the school bell rang.

"Hello everyone."

Dom and Letty looked up to see a Latina standing in front of the class in a floral sundress and heels.

"Whoa." Dom uttered.

 _Oh, for the love of Pete!_

"Close your mouth before you catch flies." Letty told him, rolling her eyes.

"I'm Elena Neves and I will be teaching your brilliant sixth graders this year." She was saying. "I'm very big on participation from my students and I'll expect nothing less from the parents."

Dom barely heard anything she was saying because he too busy trying to figure out how he could go back to the sixth grade.

They listened to her talk about the curriculum and what was expected of herself as well as the students. It was all pretty standard.

Except it wasn't.

Dom couldn't keep his eyes off of the honey blonde. Her green eyes glanced his way every once in awhile and lingered a bit longer than Letty liked. When Elena finished her spiel and invited the parents to look around the classroom at their children's artwork, Dom took the opportunity to speak with her.

"Miss Neves, hi, I'm Dom Toretto."

"Mateo's dad, yes?"

"Yes!" Dom said a little too enthusiastically, so he repeated himself with a little more finesse. "Yes."

"Mateo is an amazing kid. Sometimes, I forget he's only eleven."

Don laughed. "My mom always says he's an old soul. He's been on this earth here before."

"I can definitely see that." She giggled. "Does he have that much energy at home?"

"So much." Dom pretended to be exhausted. "His mom and I try to keep him active so he wears himself out."

An unreadable expression flashed across Elena's face.

"Is your wife here as well?"

"Ex-wife. And yes." They strolled across the classroom to where Letty was standing.

"Letty."

The brunette turned from her son's "What I Did This Summer" picture to look at her ex-husband.

"This is Elena. Elena, this is Mateo's mom, Letty."

Holding out a hand, Elena smiled. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Toretto."

"Ortiz, actually." She shook Elena's proffered hand. She looked Elena up and down. "Some things we can't take back, thankfully our names aren't one of them."

Elena simply smiled politely. "I absolutely adore Mateo."

Letty appreciated the kind words. Mateo was her pride and joy. "Thanks. I think I'll keep him."

"Miss Neves." A voice from the opposite side of the room called.

"Excuse me. It was nice to meet you, Dom." She placed a hand on his forearm. Letty's eyes drifted down to witness the gesture. Her brows went up.

"And you too, Ms. Ortiz." Elena added as an afterthought before hurrying to meet another parent.

"Wow."

"What?" He asked. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Mateo's work.

 _This summer I went to our family's beach house that my Poppy Tony left to us. It was our first year going without him. I miss him so much. My mom and dad said that he was there in spirit and in every wave in the ocean. That made me happy. I got to play soccer on the beach with my big cousin Jack. He's not very good, but that's okay because I love him. I love my uncles too. Uncle Rome is the funniest. He taught me how to pull pranks on my Uncle Brian and Uncle Tej and they pretended to be mad but they were laughing. I like when we go to the beach house. Everyone is happy when we do. Even my mom and dad._

Letty felt herself about to cry. Her throat tightened and she couldn't take it. She kissed her fingertips and pressed it against his paper before she made a hasty exit from the classroom.

Out in the parking lot, Dom caught up to her, jogging toward her car.

"Letty, wait!" He wrapped his hand around the corner of her car door, effectively stopping her from closing it. "What was that about?"

Her nose was red and Dom knew that only meant one thing. But she hated to show him weakness. Always had, and that was part of their problems.

"Let go of the door."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"Did you even read your son's summer essay?"

Dom lips parted, but Letty cut him off. "Of course you didn't because you were too busy with your nose up his teacher's ass. You eyes never could stop wandering. Even when we were married."

Dom knew that was bullshit. He'd always been faithful. But Letty couldn't let the past go. She still held him accountable for things that he did when he was in his twenties.

"Well then maybe it's a good thing we're divorced!"

She actually looked hurt by that. And a hurt Letty was an angry Letty. "Wow. Still an asshole."

"Yeah, and if you told it, I always will be."

Letty gripped the handle of her car door and yanked it away from his hand, slamming it shut. The engine turned over and he moved his foot just in time for her to speed off.

He dragged a hand down his face.

"Great. Just great."

Lately, they couldn't get more than two steps forward without being pushed ten steps back. _Divorced with a son, this is where they were now._


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: 1) You guys know with me, it's fair game. If Dom can meet someone new, you know my girl Letty can't be left out. 2) I'll be updating this Tuesdays (and occasionally Thursdays as well) unless something insane comes up. 3) Just a reminder this is semi-AU, so some canon events happen, others didn't. But all will be explained in time. Be patient with me.**_

* * *

 _Part II_

 _Legends The Barber Shop, Saturday_

"Hey, everybody watch your mouths, my nephew is here!" Rome shouted in the bustling shop.

"'Sup, _tío_?"

"How's school?"

"It's school." Mateo shrugged. He hopped into his uncle's chair.

"How's soccer practice going?"

Mateo's face lit up. "It's awesome! I made four goals on Monday."

"Whaaat? My man." Rome bumped fists with Mateo.

"Last shore weekend, Rome. You know what that means." Dom mentioned.

"Oh, for sure. I'm leaving here early to finish packing."

"Why do you guys get so excited about the last shore weekend?" Mateo asked.

"That's for us to know and you to never find out." Dom laughed.

The family's last weekend at the beach house always coincided with the end of summer drag races. Mateo knew his father and uncles were into cars, but he had no clue about their past lives.

He had no idea about their country-hopping lifestyles when they raced fast cars, dated fast women, stole oil from the rich to give to the needy of the Dominican Republic, and brought Letty home from London.

It's how Rome bought the barbershop. Tej bought stocks in Apple and Samsung. Brian and Mia opened a quaint bed and breakfast. But it was also how they lost Gisele. And Han was doomed to live the rest of his life working night and day at the two restaurants, _Gisele's_ and _Yashar,_ that he opened, thinking of his one true love.

They had used what they'd earned to get what they needed to secure a future for themselves and their children.

It seemed like a lifestyle ago. Now, all they had were the end of summer races. A chance for the team to feel like they used to.

* * *

 _Toretto Family Beach House, Los Angeles, Saturday_

"Mia, that smells amazing." Letty kissed her sister's cheek. "How you livin', girl?"

"Always good when I'm with family." She replied. "Where's my nephew?"

"Out back. He cracked open a cold one with the boys." Letty replied, trying to sneak a taste of the chicken Mia was making. Mia popped her hand.

"You're saying grace."

Letty shrugged a shoulder, unbothered. "Where's your idiot brother?"

"If he's an idiot, why do you want to know?" Mia smirked.

In the backyard, Dom found his family at the playground that had been built on the property when Jack was born. Mateo sat on the swing set and Han sat on top of the monkey bars. Tej and Rome sat on the picnic table. Mateo held a glass bottle of root beer in his hand, appraising his uncles and father. He attempted to sit how they did: relaxed, but still able to steal the attention of their women.

"How's school, Tay?" Tej asked.

"It's okay. I like my teacher. She lets me come up to board to solve math problems a lot."

"Yeah? She nice to you?"

"Yup. She says I'm one of her best students so far." He kicked at the wood chips under his feet. "I don't know if that means much because she said Dad and Mom were her favorite parents at back to school night."

Dom cleared his throat and drank from his beer.

"Did she now?" Rome's ears perked up. He knew gossip when he heard it. And Dom's body language wasn't helping his case.

"Rome. Leave it." Han warned as he popped a handful of cashews into his mouth.

"She was nice."

"Mateo Anthony Toretto, where is my hug?" Mia yelled from the sliding door that led to the kitchen.

"Coming!" He hopped off of the swing and ran to her. "Hi, _tía_. Where's Jack?"

"I think he's upstairs playing video games with _tío_ Brian. Go tell them that dinner's almost ready."

And with that, he was gone.

"So? The teacher." Roman urged.

"What about her?"

"Is she hot?"

"She's not ugly."

Han. Tej and Rome took turns looking at each other before turning their attention back to Dom.

"So, how long before you're grabbing that ass and holding onto it?" Tej asked, making an obscene gesture with his hands.

Dom laughed. "I don't know, man."

Rome added, "Y'all are forgetting the part when Letty kills him _and_ the teacher."

"Letty wanted this divorce. She can't dictate what I do anymore."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, bro."

* * *

"A duck!"

"Chicken!"

"Chicken _head_?" Rome asked.

"What is wrong with you?" Tej asked, completely amused.

They were loud. They were laughing. They were playing one of the funniest games of Pictionary. It was what they needed. Letty had been quiet throughout dinner after being last to the table and stuck between Mateo and his father. The tension was palpable, but no one commented on it. Tej had forced everyone to take a shot of the strongest liquor they had in the house. Then Mia declared that it was time for an impromptu game night.

"Times up!" Mia shouted.

Brian looked indignant as he pointed to his permanent marker drawing. "Are you kidding me? It's a swan. Look how graceful this thing is?"

"A swan? Is that a sick joke?"

"Whatever, this is a masterpiece. I'm framing this." Brian said.

"And where do you think you're hanging it?" Mia asked, crossing her arms.

"Right in the bedroom." He replied, suggestively.

Dom threw a decorative pillow at his brother-in-law. Brian caught it, laughing.

"That's my sister!"

"What? They mate for life!" The blond responded with a cheeky grin.

"Still flagged."

"Who's next?" Brian wondered.

Han looked at the brunette next to him. "Letty, you're up."

Letty grunted dramatically as she got up from the couch. Brian tossed her the black marker which she caught with ease. Standing in front of the easel, she reached into the box that Mia handed her. She ruffled through it before producing her topic.

"No way. Let me pull another one." She begged of Mia.

"Nope. You know the rules."

"Fine."

"Ready! Go!"

Letty started drawing. An altar, two stick figures. One with a top hat, for some odd reason.

"Monopoly!"

"Dolls!"

A cross necklace around two hands.

Dom leaned forward, forearms resting against his knees. "A wedding." He said, and the tone of his voice caused everyone to quiet down.

Mia broke the silence first. "Is that it, Letty?"

"Yeah." She replied in the same thoughtful tone as Dom. "It's a wedding."

It was the worst. When they were reminded of their past together. Nothing was the same now. And the constant strain of pretending they were okay with being confined to the same house together was becoming too much.

No one had agreed with their decision to divorce. Everyone assumed they were just going through a rough patch and would get better with time. But they didn't. They only got worse, bickering over every little thing; from replacing the toilet paper roll to a dish being left in the sink. It wasn't healthy for anyone involved.

Mia and Brian suggested marriage and family counseling. Letty and Dom didn't think they needed it. They were old school, prefering to deal with their problems by themselves. But their problems, Mia had reminded them, affected everyone, especially Mateo.

Dom and Letty never talked. That was a major problem. When they were younger, that was okay. But the older they got, the bigger their problems were. It was no longer Letty finding Dom in a bar in the DR sandwiched between two skanks in skimpy clothing. There were bills to be paid and decisions to be made about Mateo's well-being. Parenthood. It had forced them to grow up quicker than they had anticipated. They butted heads until one either relented or just did what they wanted regardless of the other's feelings.

Dom's motto became "it's better to beg forgiveness than ask permission". And the sex had gone from _anytime and any place_ to constant headaches and fatigue that left them both too tired to do anything..

So, when Mateo was five, Mia forced them on a second honeymoon. Afterwards, they were good. For a while. No one knew where they went or what they did, but when Dom and Letty returned, they were more romantic again, showing more affection. Little did anyone realize that their increased sexual lifestyle was only a bandaid for the underlying problems that still was still lurking just beneath the surface.

"It's late, you two." Mia told her son and his cousin. "Time for bed."

Jack, sensing the shift in mood as well, stood from his seat on the floor and summoned Mateo. Rome and Tej started cleaning up the game while Mia straightened up the couches.

"Letty." Dom said, catching her attention. She looked at him and he nodded his head towards the side patio door. Together, they headed out, shutting the sliding door behind them.

"So, that sucked."

"It didn't suck."

"Let, come on. You can be honest with me."

"Fine," acquiesced Letty, "it sucked."

Dom pulled himself up on the wooden banister and Letty sat on the swinging chair, pulling her feet under her bum and a pillow to her chest.

"We have to stop doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Making things awkward for everyone else who just want to have a good time."

"I know. What do you suggest we do?" She asked.

"I know we said we wouldn't do it, but Mateo's older now. He'll understand."

"Understand what?"

"Maybe we should just switch off on what each of us are there for. Maybe I can have him for Thanksgiving and you can have Christmases."

"My son—."

" _Our_ son." Dom corrected.

"—will not have separated holidays. Holidays are for family. His _entire_ family. He deserves that."

He knew she was right. "Fine. Not holidays. But everything else like vacations and school trips. The small things."

"And what about his soccer games?"

"I said small things, Letty. Soccer is a major part of the _our_ son's life. He should know that we both support him."

"For the record I think this is stupid."

"So now I'm stupid."

"I didn't say _you_ were stupid. Just this idea."

"Because it wasn't yours."

"Because we're supposed to be a family!"

"We are. A little dysfunctional, but we are."

"A little dys—. Jesus." Letty huffed pushing her hair from her face. "Whatever you say, Dom. You're the man."

"Seriously?"

"That's how you have to feel all the time, isn't it? Like you're Zeus, king of the gods."

"That's bullshit and you know it."

"Really?" She looked him dead in the eyes. "The DR?"

"The DR? Letty are you fucking kidding me right now? You know I did that to keep you safe."

"Because you always think you know what's best. Even if it negatively affects the rest of us."

"It may hurt but nothing is going to stop me from protecting my family."

"Except stay."

" _You_ left _me_!"

"Because you left _me_ a long time ago!"

They weren't talking about the DR anymore.

"Say what you really mean."

"It doesn't matter anymore. I shouldn't be here. This is _your_ family's house." She stood from the swinging chair. "I'll get Mateo from the garage on Monday."

"Are you at least going to say goodbye and goodnight to him?"

She shot him a look and if it could kill, he would've been dead. "Of course, I am. I'm not a _horrible_ mother."

Before he could respond, the sliding door was closing and he watched as she disappeared from view.

"You're not a horrible anything, Let." He mumbled.

* * *

 _Costco's, Tuesday, 6:54PM_

"Go pick out cereal. One fun, one healthy." Letty told Mateo. He hopped off of the back of the shopping cart and headed down the aisle. She looked down at the piece of scrap paper she'd written the list on.

 _Milk, check. Veggies, check. Cases of water, check._ _Toilet paper, no check._

She turned back around and read the signs above her head.

 _Shit_. They had passed right by the personal care aisle.

"Mateo, meet me in aisle two. Do not talk to strangers. Scream if someone approaches you."

"I know. Stranger danger. I remember." He told her as he looked for his favorite cereal.

Letty turned it the toiletries aisle and nearly collided with another car. She huffed.

"Jesus. Make some noise next time."

"Me? You're the one who had her head in the clouds." A deep voice, thick with an accent.

"My head is just fine, thank you very much." She sassed and finally looked at him. He was shorter than Dom and leaner, and while Letty wasn't really a fan of facial hair, it looked good on him. His light brown eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Anyway, sorry for almost killing you just then."

"It-it's fine. I should really watch where I'm going."

He didn't say anything but he kept staring.

"Right, so, should I bob and you weave?" Letty tilted her head in one direction and pointed her thumb in the other.

"Sorry, yeah." He headed to the left, so Letty headed for the right. Before she went any further, the handsome stranger stopped her. "Sorry, if I let you go without at least knowing your name, I think I'll get home and never be able to look myself in the mirror again."

Letty looked confused, so he put his hand out to shake and said, "Shaw. Owen Shaw."

"Is that like Bond, James Bond?" She laughed, but shook his hand anyway.

"Shaken, not stirred." He smirked.

"Letty. Ortiz."

"It's nice to meet you, Letty Ortiz."

"Likewise."

"Mom! They don't have my favorite, so I got my second favorite."

"Is it healthy?"

Mateo made a face and held up a box of Wheaties. "No, so I got these, too."

He turned to the man that had been talking to his mother. "Hi. I'm Mateo. Sorry for interrupting."

"That's quite alright." He held his hand out to Mateo. "I'm Owen."

"Nice to meet you. Are you a friend of my mom's?"

"I'd like to be. Is there anyway to convince her that I'm the kind of person she should take a chance on?"

Mateo shrugged. "She likes Cuban food."

Owen looked back to the stunning brunette before him. "Well then, Letty Ortiz, may I take you to Cha Cha Cha?"

Letty's mouth opened and then she shook her head once, trying to clear her mind.

"Yes." Mateo replied for her. "Pick her up Friday at seven."


	3. Chapter 3

_Part III_

 _Letty's, 6:39PM_

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"Because I'm brilliant." Mateo flipped through a sports magazine while lying on Letty's bed.

"You're like three."

"I'm eleven."

Letty smirked as she smoothed her dress down. "What do you think?"

"I think you look like a girl."

"Do I look like a boy any other day?"

"No, you look like a mom any other day."

Letty rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks."

The doorbell rang, followed by two quick knocks. They glanced at each other.

"It's _papí_." The said in unison. Dom always called upon them in the same way. Part of Letty felt safe, knowing that only he knocked that way, while the other part hated the routine of it all.

"Go get your overnight bag and put your shoes on."

Mateo hopped off of the bed and went to do as he was told as Letty started towards the door. When she opened it, Dom looked at her from head to toe and back up.

"I—. Letty, you look—. Wow." Then his brows furrowed. "Hot date?"

"Actually, yes."

His ears turned red. "With who?"

"None of your business."

He pushed past her, entering uninvited.

"Please, come in. Make yourself at home." She said, sarcastically.

" _Papí_ , I'm ready." Mateo made his presence known.

"Shoes, _papa_." Letty reminded him. He looked down at his socked feet and wiggled his toes.

"Oh yeah. Be right back!"

Letty turned back to Dom.

"So. I get shit for ogling a teacher, but you get to go on a date? You realize the double standard here?"

"I wasn't ogling Owen. I almost ran him over in Costco's."

"Costco's? What kind of grown ass man shops in bulk?"

"Jealous?"

 _Damn right!_

"Hardly." He scoffed and sat on her couch.

"Okay, I'm really ready this time."

"Change of plans, kid." Dom said, not taking his eyes off of Letty.

"We're not going to your house?"

"Nope. We're staying right here and having a movie night. I'll order pizza and wings. Sound good?"

"Yes! That sounds awesome." Mateo ran back to his room to take off his shoes and unpack his overnight bag.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Making sure you get home okay. I don't know this guy. So, I don't trust him. If he doesn't have you home as a decent hour, I'm dropping the kid with Mia and me and the guys will track him down."

"You just don't want Owen to spend the night. And you're _using_ your time with Mateo to do it."

"He _definitely_ ain't spending the night."

She gestured to her figure. "My body, my choice."

Dom gestured to the living room. "My son's home. I'm not having _Owen_ defiling it."

"I hate you."

"You don't mean that." He picked up the remote and turned on the television. And he was right. Besides, it was nice to see him a little jealous for a change. She couldn't remember the last time he had been. In Letty's mind, as far as Dom Toretto was concerned, he could have any woman with his good looks and brooding disposition.

Letty made a frustrated growling noise and looked up to the ceiling. "Fine. Stay here and have your movie night but I—."

Whatever threat she'd been cooking up was cut off by the doorbell ringing.

"The mystery man." Dom announced. Mateo magically appeared back in the living room with a wide grin on his face. Dom looked displeased.

"Owen, hi." Letty was saying. "These are beautiful. Thank you. Come in. I just have to grab my bag and we'll go." Letty came back into view with a bouquet of flowers in her hand and a man following behind her.

"Mateo, my man! How are you?" Owen asked.

"Very well, thank you."

Letty was always pleased with his manners. They'd gone through hell and high water to instill them.

"I brought something for you. When we first met, you had on a soccer uniform, so I bought you," he unveiled the gift he'd been hiding behind his back, "this."

Dom nearly lost his mind. _This dude has met my kid? Already?!_ , he seethed.

"No way!"

It was a regulation soccer ball with his name monogrammed onto it in gold lettering.

"This is awesome. Thank you."

Dom stood from the couch and cleared his throat.

"Hello, there. Owen Shaw." He held his hand out for Dom, who gripped it tighter than necessary and shook.

"Dom Toretto, Letty's husband."

" _Ex_ -husband who's clearly working on being my _late_ ex-husband." She half-joked, half-threatened.

"No worries. Shall we?" Owen pointed towards the front door.

"Yes. I'll be just a minute. _Dominic_ , make yourself useful and put these in some water." She handed him the flowers with a little force and walked past him to her bedroom.

Owen made polite conversation with Mateo while Letty grabbed her clutch from bedroom. She kissed her son's cheeks and made sure he knew that she loved him.

"Not too much pizza, please?" Letty begged the two Toretto men on her couch as she left them alone.

The door shut, and the locked clicked and Dom found himself looking out of the window to see what kind of car Owen drove.

 _Hmm. Foreign. He doesn't stand a chance._

"So," he said to Mateo, "what toppings on the pie?"

* * *

 _Cha Cha Cha, 7:25PM_

"So, your ex-husband is charming."

Letty had to laugh. "You noticed?"

"He's not my number one fan. That's for sure."

"Would you be his if the tables were turned?"

Owen considered that. "Good point."

They were interrupted briefly to give their drink and dinner orders. After the waitress took their menus and her leave, Owen turned back to Letty.

"Do you two still live together?"

"Absolutely not. He's just having a movie night with Mateo."

"Mateo seems like a good kid."

"He's the best."

"Must mean he has the best mom, yeah?"

Letty smiled. "Thank you."

"So, tell me about _you_ , Letty."

"There's not much to know. I used to travel a lot, before Mateo, now I just work on cars."

Owen blinked his surprise. "Really? A mechanic?"

Letty shrugged. "It pays the bills, and it helps that I love cars."

"So do I."

"Lemme guess," she put a finger to her chin, "only foreign?"

He held up his hands as if to say "yup, guilty". "Well, you can take the Englishman out of the UK. What about you?"

"Classic American muscle."

"Why?"

"Rugged, yet beautiful exterior with a complex interior."

 _Like Dom_.

He found that amusing, no doubt thinking the same thing she was. "Well, let's see if we can't convert you."

"Or at least have fun trying." Letty flirted back.

He cocked a brow. "I think I'm going to like having you around, Letty."

"Should we get through dinner first?"

"I'm an excellent judge of character, but," he gestured as if he'd magically made their server reappear with their food and drinks, "as you wish."

The brunette found herself truly enjoying Owen's company. He had an edgy energy that she hadn't felt since she first met Dom all those decades ago. Owen was quick-witted, constantly keeping up with her banter and they never ran out of new topics. Even after the bill had been paid, they sat at their table, talking about everything.

"Seriously, what made you move to the States?"

"Well, technically I'm here on a six-month work visa, but I've been offered a permanent position with my company. So, I'm considering it."

"You'll make the right decision for you."

"That's what's important, right?"

"Exactly."

The two shared a moment where they simply gazed at one another over the dancing candlelight.

"Last call!" The bartender yelled, forcing them to break eye contact.

Letty looked around the restaurant to see it had nearly cleared completely out. It was well past last call, Letty was sure. The staff just didn't want to be rude.

"I'd better get you home before you turn into a pumpkin, Cinderella.

A perfect gentleman to the very end, Owen walked Letty to her doorstep and kissed the back of her hand, wishing her a goodnight. He waited until she got inside before returning to his car and pulling off. She had been glad that he didn't make the goodbye awkward. It wasn't that she hadn't wanted to kiss him, Letty just wasn't sure if she was completely ready to let another man so close. Not yet, at least.

In the living room, the boys were asleep on the couch, Mateo snuggled into his dad's side. Apparently their movie night required a ton of snacks. A cardboard box, devoid of any pizza, was now filled with two empty chip bags, and a half-scattered box of sour candy. Half-empty glasses of soda sat next to it and the "are you still watching" screen covered the tv screen.

She rolled her eyes and, as quietly as she could, cleaned up the mess they'd made. Letty pulled the throw blanket from behind their heads and unfolding and draping it over their bodies. She kissed the top of Mateo's and then looked at Dom. He stirred slightly before continuing to snore, sounding just like Mateo.

There were times when she truly resisted the urge to strangle him. But just then, she could remember why she fell in love with him. It was accidental if she was being honest with herself. Hell, it'd taken two years for him to even notice her. He'd always been a protector in her eyes, a hero really. Eventually, when she got to know him on an intimate level, she saw how insanely vulnerable he could be. And only with her. He never showed his weaknesses to anyone else, and Letty had come to realize that _that_ made _her_ his greatest weakness. She could destroy him if she wanted to.

 _She wasn't so sure that she already hadn't._

Letty ran a hand down his face and swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat.

 _And she wasn't so sure that she hadn't destroyed herself, too._

* * *

 _Letty's, 9:22AM_

She had just finished the bacon when she heard:

"Morning, _mamí_."

And then:

"Yeah, morning, _mamí_." Came a deeper voice.

"Morning, my love." She froze as she turned, hoping he knew that she was talking to Mateo. In case he didn't, she added, "and my love's father."

Dom gave a cheeky grin. Letty was so bull-headed. It was cute sometimes.

The boys sat at the kitchen table and Letty brought their food to them. She placed Mateo's down and he smiled. Then, she slammed Dom's down and he laughed. She made a frowning face with the bacon, eggs and pancakes.

"Cute." He told her. She gave him a sickly sweet smile before retrieving her own plate and sitting down.

"How was your date, mom?"

"It was very nice. Thanks for asking."

"Yeah?" Dom nodded at Mateo. "Cover your ears."

Mateo dropped his fork and covered them. In case he could still hear, Dom switched to a Dominican dialect of Spanish.

"Did you kiss him?"

Just as fluent, Letty replied "And if I did?"

Dom sat his glass of orange juice down with a thump. Letty decided to throw him a bone.

"No, not that it's any of your business."

"Did you want to?"

"No! Yes. God, I don't know. We're done talking about this."

"Fine." He cut his pancakes down the middle and then into smaller bites. "I'm going to go out with Elena."

 _The fuck?_

"It's your world, Toretto."

Dom made a gesture to Mateo, letting him know he could remove his hands from his ears.

Switching back into English, she asked Mateo, "Are you excited for Sunday barbecue, _mijo_?"

"Yes. We driving your car or _papí_ 's?"

Dom and Letty looked at each other.

"You're going to go with Daddy. I'm not going to be there this Sunday."

"Why not?"

" _Mamí_ and I are going to be spending some more time apart."

"Why?"

"We just think now that you're a little older, you can understand that Daddy and I have to live our own lives."

Mateo pondered this for a moment before he shrugged. "Okay."

"Is it really okay with you?"

"You're divorced. I don't know why but you obviously didn't get one because you wanted to spend _more_ time together."

Dom and Letty looked at each other and then back to their son.

"You're a good kid."

"Too smart for your own good, but still, a good kid." Dom agreed.

* * *

 _Monday, 7:00PM_

Kicking the soccer ball around at the school's field with Mateo was clearly Letty's exercise for the day. It was t the best idea right after dinner, but Letty knew she had to talk with him. And soccer was the best way to do that.

When they finally took a break and sat on the bleachers, he praised her for doing a good job.

"I'm getting old, kid. I can't run like I used to."

"You don't look old."

She laughed. "I'll take what I can get."

He rolled the soccer ball under his foot and looked at his mom. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything. Always."

"Are you and _papí_ going to get married again? To other people, I mean?"

"I don't know, kid." Letty answered honestly. "I thought I'd never get married. But then I met Daddy and I just knew he would be the one to change my mind. And he did. When I think of family, I can only see you and your father and Aunt Mia and your _tíos_. I don't see myself with any other family."

"What about Owen? Do you like him?"

"He's a nice man."

"Like Daddy?"

"Different than Daddy."

"Different is good sometimes. Maybe you need different to make you happy again."

"I have you. You always make me happy."

"I know, but you need a grown-up friend."

"Is that why you made me say yes to Owen?"

"Sort of. Plus he was giving you that face that _papí_ gives you when you're not looking."

"What look?"

"Like you're Wonder Woman or something." He shrugged his shoulders and picked up the soccer ball. "Can we go home now?"

"Yeah, _papa_ , come on."


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Can we talk about how when Letty was 16, Dom was 23? I don't think the writers thought that through when they created Dom and Letty's birthdays in the films._

* * *

 _Part IV_

 _Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School, Wednesday, 4:54PM_

"Woo! Go Mateo!" Mia yelled from the bleachers. The entire team, sans Rome sat in the first three, rows cheering him on. Letty and Dom wore "Mom" and "Dad" baseball caps with Mateo's name and jersey number on the backs.

"That's my boy!" Dom called when Mateo made yet another goal. A whistle sounded and halftime was called.

"I'm going to run and get him a Gatorade from the cooler. He looks a little tired." Letty told Dom, who nodded in response. Letty hopped down the side of the bleachers. Dom watched her as she walked towards the bench where Mateo's team sat.

"Dom, he looks so good out there." Brian said, taking up residence in Letty's vacant spot. He patted Dom on the back and smiled.

"Thanks, Bri. He's going to be professional one day. I can feel it."

"He'll make us all proud."

"Who's that that Letty's talking to? I don't think I've seen her here before."

Dom found Letty again and his brows raised. Letty gripped Mateo's sports drink in her hands and had a polite smile on her face. She was listening to something that Elena was saying, nodding in agreement. Letty said something and then pointed to Dom. Elena looked over and her cheeks flushed. Dom frowned.

 _What on Earth could they possibly be talking about? And why was Letty pointing at him?_

Elena started up the bleachers towards him while Letty went to give their son his drink.

"Hi." Elena greeted.

"Hey."

She turned to Brian and smiled. "Hi, I'm Elena."

"Sorry." Dom snapped out of his trance. "I'm being rude. This is my brother, Brian. Bri, this is Elena Neves, Mateo's teacher."

 _Oh, this is gonna be good_ , thought Brian. Dom looked at him, expectantly.

"That's my cue." He said and left the two of them alone.

"What were you and Letty talking about?"

Elena glanced at the spot where she and Letty were just talking and shook her head. "Uh, you know, just girl talk."

"I'm actually glad you're here. I wanted to ask if you'd like to go out to dinner with me sometime?"

"What time is sometime?"

Dom chuckled. "Fair enough. How about this: Elena, will you go to dinner with me on Saturday at seven?"

"Yes. I'd like that."

They exchanged numbers and when Elena saw Letty was returning, she stood from the seat.

"I'll text you my address this week."

"Nice to see you again, Letty." She said as they passed each other.

The brunette took her seat next to her ex-husband and handed him a bottled water.

"Thanks." He tried to remain silent, but his curiosity got the best of him. "What were you and Elena talking about?"

Letty looked at him, smiled and turned her attention back to the game. "Your son is back on the field, Dom."

* * *

 _Dom's house, Thursday, 8PM_

"Listen to me! Do not do this! Letty will cut off your nuts and wear them as earrings." Rome said to Dom. He had one hand on Dom's shoulder and the other holding a Corona. "I'm saving you from an involuntary vasectomy."

"Letty doesn't wear earrings." Dom replied, drinking from his beer.

Matter-of-factly, Roman shot back, "Bro, she will start."

Brian and Tej tried to hide their laughter.

"You should bring her to Yashar." Han said.

"I was actually thinking the same thing. I was gonna call and make a reservation."

"You don't need reservations. What time?"

"I'll pick her up around seven, so we'll probably get there around seven-thirty."

"Noted."

"Be real with us, DT," Tej said, "are you only going on a date because Letty did?"

"Partly, but also because if she wants to move on, then I should too."

"So, if she hadn't went on the date, y'all would've just gotten back together?"

Rome was asking all of the questions that Dom had been asking himself all week. _What would he and Letty have done?_ He always considered them soulmates, destined to be together in any life and in every way. _Would they have gotten back together? Would they have simply gone forward in their lives co-parenting Mateo? Living loveless? Sexless?_

"I have no clue."

And it was true. He didn't. And he didn't like to think about it. Dom thought Letty was the end for him. Sometimes, when he watched her with Mateo, he still felt it.

But things changed. And so did people.

So, Dom would evolve. He would take this opportunity with Elena to move forward and see where things went. He was nervous as hell. Dom hadn't been on a first date since the first time he and Letty went out, decades ago. He had been nervous then, but Letty made it easy for him. She looked at him like he was some sort of white knight. It had boosted his ego, giving him a little more confidence. Plus, it helped that he'd known her forever.

This date with Elena was different. She didn't know him. She didn't know his good and bad traits. She didn't know that both made him the man that he was. He was about to start all over from scratch. And for the life of him, he couldn't picture life with Elena past this first date. On his first date with Letty, he just knew he'd eventually marry her. Even though she had told him that she didn't believe in marriage. He'd changed her mind. More importantly, he wanted to change her mind because he was so incredibly in love with her.

"It doesn't matter. My money is still on Dom and Letty. True love never dies." Han said.

"That's a fact."

"Can we watch the game now, Oprah and Dr. Phil?" Dom asked Rome and Han.

* * *

 _Yashar, Los Angeles, Saturday, 8:26PM_

Elena was laughing at yet another funny story about Mateo. He was what Elena had in common with Dom, so he found himself talking about his son.

"That's hysterical. He really is a character."

"That he is."

"So, I know that your son is funny and brilliant. What about you? What are your talents?"

Dom opened his hands and shrugged. "Mostly, I'm just a family man who likes cars."

"Yeah? What kind of cars?"

"American muscle."

"Favorite car?"

"1979 Dodge Charger."

"Why?"

"It's the car that me and my dad built from the ground up when I was a kid. Nine-hundred horses of Detroit muscle."

"That's amazing." Elena replied, her green eyes sparkling.

There it was. The look. The one that Letty used to give him. The ego-booster. And it was different coming from another woman.

"What about you?"

"Whatever time I'm not spending on lesson planning, I'm at the gym."

"Did you always want to be a teacher?"

"I was actually a cop in Brazil before I moved to the States."

"Really?" He was genuinely surprised. "What made you switch careers?"

"I think in my mind it was all about a fresh start. I didn't want anything from my past following me here."

"So, were you running from something or to something?"

"A little bit of both." She smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "But that's a story for our second date."

Dom grinned. "So there's going to be a second date?"

Elena's expression matched his own. "If you play your cards right."

When dessert came, Dom suddenly found himself laughing more with Elena and thinking less of Letty. Reluctantly,they finished dessert, Dom paid the bill and they left the restaurant.

He drove her home, and walked her to her front door.

"Thank you for tonight. It was much needed." Elena told him.

"Likewise."

She put her hands on his shoulders, stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

"Goodnight, Elena."

"Goodnight, Dom."

* * *

 _DT's Auto Garage, Saturday, 2:22PM_

"How do I know it's right?" Mateo asked his father.

"You'll feel it. Once the bolt is tightened, turn the cap and you'll feel the resistance."

Mateo turned the bolt until it was as tight as it would be. "Like this?"

"Perfect. Couldn't have done it better myself."

Mateo beamed. He liked working on cars with his dad. They weren't his first passion like everyone else in their family, but cars ran a close second to soccer. Spending time at the garage with his dad made Mateo feel cool. He looked up to his dad, and in his eyes, there was no one cooler.

"Hey, I wanna talk to you about something, kid."

He leaned against the hood of the car and Mateo mimicked him. Dom grinned.

"So, your teacher, Miss Neves," he began, "you like her, right?"

"Yeah, she's nice. Why?"

"So, I took her out on a date, and we had fun. Would you mind if I took her out on another date and if she was around a little more?"

"What do you mean around?"

"If maybe she came to my apartment sometimes or your games."

"Sure." Mateo shrugged, but he looked down at the monkey wrench beside him and toyed with it.

"Tell me what's on your mind."

"Do you want to marry her?"

Dom chuckled. "No. We just went on one date. I'm not sure what the future holds for us. We can only live our lives a quarter mile at a time. It's important to live in the moment, to be present and appreciative of what we have now."

Mateo nodded in understanding. "Got it, Dad."

"Besides, your mother was the only wife I've ever wanted."

Mateo smiled. "So how come you're not still married?"

"I honestly still don't know, kid."

"Grown ups are weird."

Dom laughed. "Yes we are."

"Mom's birthday is next week. Aunt Mia is throwing her a surprise party."

"Really? She didn't say anything to me about it."

Mateo shrugged again and turned back to the car. Dom frowned. _What was that all about? Why wouldn't Mia tell him about the party? Was he not invited? Had Letty told Mia not to invite him?_

* * *

 _Mia and Brian's, Sunday, 3:01PM_

The weekly Sunday barbecue was, as always, the staple of the week. After church, the neighborhood headed over to the house that Mia and Dom had grown up in. Brian, now the man of the house, stood at the grill next to Tej. Dom, now in his more comfortable street clothes, headed into the kitchen, to find Mia putting the finishing touches on her potato salad.

"I have a bone to pick with you."

"Do you?"

"Yeah. Why didn't I get an invite to Letty's party?"

"Shh!" Mia said, looking around, making sure the woman in question wasn't around.

Dom repeated his inquiry, this time, as a whisper.

Mia went back to her salad, "I thought you two were spending less time together."

"It's my wife's birthday." He spat.

"Ex-wife," she reminded him, "and I don't like your tone."

Dom huffed. "Sorry. This shit just isn't fair."

"Life isn't fair." Mia opened the drawer beside her hip and pulled out aluminum foil. "Besides, I didn't know how you and Owen would get along."

"He's invited? The man she's known for two seconds? And I'm not? The father of her child?" He was furious. And honestly, Mia was the closest person to take that anger out on. "That's bullshit, Mia. Everyone around here is walking on eggshells. It's tiring."

"You know? It's a shame you haven't asked yourself why everyone is walking on eggshells. You and Letty make every event awkward with your constant nitpicking and pent up sexual tension. Then you two decide that you're going to spend less time around each other, and we're all trying to be understanding. You and Letty just need to get your shit together. Either kiss and make up or stay away from each other. You can't have it both ways."

"Why not?"

"If you have to ask that, you're not the man I thought you were."

She was right. It was a slap in the face, but it was a true wake up call. Years ago, after her accident, Letty didn't remember him, but he never pushed her. He never tried to force her to remember that they were soulmates. He believed that, with time, her memories would come back and they would continue where they left off. Dom had truly believed that even if they didn't keep going, or if Letty never regained her memories, he would still be happy just having her back in his life.

" _Why didn't you tell me?" She'd asked._

" _You can't tell someone they love you." He'd replied._

Now he didn't know what he believed. He wanted so desperately to once again believe that he would be happy just having her in his world, but sometimes it didn't feel like it was enough. His bed was cold. His apartment was less homey. And on the days when she was around and he'd get a whiff of her dark hair and hear her boisterous laughter, his heart physically ached that he couldn't reach out and touch her.

But then, he would remember that she made her choice. _She_ had been the one to bring up divorce. Just when Dom had been so damned close to taking Mia's advice about marriage counseling.

 _Flashback, three years ago_

" _Can we just get on the same page for once?" Letty yelled._

 _He'd once again undermined her as a parent and let Mateo have friends over to play video games, despite him being grounded. Mateo had lost a game three days prior and took his anger out on his mom. Letty was having none of it._

 _Dom, thinking the punishment was a bit harsh for a nine-year-old who was usually a pretty good kid, defied her grounding._

" _Letty, he's a good kid."_

" _Who did something wrong!"_

" _We all make mistakes, Letty. He needs to be taught how to manage his anger and disappointment."_

" _And learn that his actions have consequences."_

" _We said we wouldn't be like your parents, punishing him for every indiscretion."_

" _Dom, he was disrespectful and disobedient. That's not a small indiscretion. If he'd done it to you, it would be a much bigger deal."_

" _That's not true."_

" _It is. He'd be grounded for a month, instead of a week."_

 _Dom sighed, conceding, "Fine. I'm sorry."_

" _Sorry for the lack of respect for me as his mother or sorry for just not caring, period."_

 _This was their fifth argument in a week. Dom was tired. Letty was exhausted._

 _Dom just shook his head. This was too much. When he'd pictured their life together, he didn't know it'd be like this._

" _If you don't respect me, how am I supposed to respect you?" She asked him._

" _I respect you, Letty."_

" _You don't. You wouldn't keep doing this if you did."_

" _So what do you want to do? How do we move forward?" He was thinking family therapy or marriage counseling. But then…_

" _Maybe we don't. Maybe we should start thinking about a separation."_

 _Dom felt his jaw drop and his heart break._

 _End of flashback_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Will return to edit this sometime this week._

* * *

 _Part V_

 _Mia and Brian's, 3:00PM_

" _Mateo wants to come home. Will you come get him?"_

That was how Mia had gotten Letty to come over the house. Letty used her keys to enter and dropped them when everyone she knew yelled:

"SURPRISE!"

She put her hand on her chest and breathed, "Jesus H."

"Happy birthday, Let." Mia stepped forward first and hugged her. "Did we get you?"

"You definitely got me."

A barrage of hugs and kisses followed, leaving Letty feeling extremely loved. Except one person was missing.

"Happy birthday, love." Came a familiar accented voice.

"Owen? What are you doing here?"

"Mia invited me. Asked Mateo to sneak my number out of your phone, I reckon." He smiled.

"Those two are the sneakiest little mice I know."

He pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry I can't stay long. I've got a business meeting to tend to, but I wanted to see your face."

"Here it is." She gestured around her entire head, a genuine smile gracing her features.

"Stunning." He complimented. "I also wanted to ask you out on a second date. Maybe sometime this week?"

"Yes, sure. Mateo has a game on Tuesday and he's staying at his dad's afterwards. Maybe we can grab drinks after?"

"Sounds like a plan." Owen's phone began to ring and he looked toward the heavens. "It begins."

"Go. Make money."

"Happy birthday, Letty." He grinned and leaned forward, kissing her lips. "I really wanted to do that."

Letty, in shock, pushed her hair back and let out a breathy chuckle. "I'm glad you did."

"I hope you like my gift. I'll see you this week."

"Okay. Thanks for coming."

And with that, he was off.

Letty walked through the house, mingling with the people who came to celebrate her, but she still hadn't found who she was looking for.

"Hey, Mia?" Letty tapped her sister-in-law on the shoulder.

"Everything okay?"

"I guess so."

"What's wrong?"

"Where's Dom? He never misses my birthday."

"Oh, I—. Let, I didn't invite him."

"What? Why?"

"Well, because I invited Owen. I didn't think you'd want them both here. And I thought you and Dom were working on spending time apart."

"Yeah, but—." Letty shook her head. "Nevermind."

She couldn't fight Mia because, well, she was right not to invite Dom. Mia, was only trying to respect she and Dom's wishes. It wouldn't have been fair for Dom to have to be in the same room with Owen. Although, it would have been nice for them to get to know each other, if only to get rid of any animosity.

But here they were, on Letty's birthday; an occasion that Dom hadn't missed since she'd turned sixteen. What truly saddened Letty was the idea that even if Mia had told him he wasn't invited, he still hadn't come.

He didn't even fight to be invited. Didn't fight for her. And honestly, that was the main factor in their divorce. Letty could remember a time when he literally traveled halfway around the world to find her, even though she had no memory of who he was to her.

 _When had he stopped fighting for her? When had he stopped caring so much?_

Even when they were only separated, Letty had expected Dom to shape up and do whatever he could to get her back. To earn her respect back. But instead, he'd only conceded, giving her what he thought she wanted.

And then, when they found out how long it would take to actually get divorced, Letty thought that maybe he would finally grab her by the shoulders and tell her that he would never give up on them or their marriage, no matter how hard things got.

After all, she'd _never_ given up on him. _Ever_. Even when she suggested the separation. In her heart, she just _knew_ that Dom would make the right decision.

But he hadn't.

* * *

 _7:17PM_

"So," Mia asked, sitting at the kitchen table across from Letty, "did you have a good birthday?"

"I did. Thanks for doing this, Mia. You didn't have to."

"I didn't. It was your son's idea. I just made the phone calls, bought the decorations and cooked."

Letty chuckled. "I appreciate it."

Mia reached across the table and squeezed Letty's hand. "I'm sorry I didn't invite Dom. I didn't know you would want him here."

Letty shook her head. "Don't be sorry. How could you know what I wanted? Hell, I don't even know what I want."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing." Letty dismissed the thought.

"No, tell me."

"He went on a date."

"You went on a date."

"I know. I know." Letty huffed. She takes both hands through her hair and held them at the base of her neck. Mia had pity on her.

"I don't know why you and Dom do this to yourselves."

"Do what?"

"Continue to break your own hearts."

"Fuck, Mia." Letty slipped her leg under her bum. "I don't know."

"Mom," Jack interrupted with Mateo right behind him.

"Yes?"

"Can Mateo stay over? We're so close to beating a record on _Fortnite_." He pleaded.

Mia looked at Letty, who shrugged.

"Yes. Lights out by eleven. We have church tomorrow."

"Yes! Come on, Mateo!"

"Hey! You're welcome!" Mia called behind them.

"Thanks, Mom!" Jack shouted back as he and Mateo thundered upstairs.

"Sometimes, I wonder how is it that when something as amazing as Jack happens, what is there to argue about?"

"The little things."

Mia leaned her elbows on the table. "And they somehow become the big things." It wasn't a question. She was telling Letty that she understood where she was coming from. There was obviously a little trouble in the Brian and Mia paradise.

"Exactly." Letty tilted her head to the side. "Everything okay?"

"It will be." Mia waved a hand to change the subject. "I still think you two should think about family therapy."

"Is it worth it? He's moving on."

"Yeah, because you are. Or at least that's what he thinks. Doesn't mean either of you are happy. And that's what's really important."

Letty heard what Mia was saying. Dom's little sister always rooted for Dom and Letty even when they were separated.

"Listen," Mia reached over the table and grabbed her best friend's hands, "go home, have some wine, maybe run a hot bath. Relax and enjoy the rest of your birthday, kid-free."

"Thanks, Mi."

* * *

 _Letty's, 9:3y2PM_

The doorbell rang, followed by two quick knocks.

 _It was Dom._

Letty muted her tv show and stood from the couch, heading to the front hall. She opened the door and her lashes fluttered. Dom stood there with a gift bag in one hand and a bottle of their favorite blended whiskey in the other.

"Hi." She greeted, softly.

"Hey." He responded. "I couldn't let today go by without celebrating your birthday."

Letty smiled, moving aside to allow him entrance.

They made their way back into the living room, where Dom sat everything down on the table.

"I'll get the glasses."

"Wait. First," he gestured to the bag before shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, "open your gift."

Letty gave him a cheeky grin. "What did you buy?"

"Well, not so much _bought_ as _found_."

Her curiosity was definitely peaked. "What is it?"

Dom hadn't seen her face light up with such a childlike smile in such a long time. Last time he saw it, they were driving down a coast in the DR mere moments after they'd gotten married. The wind was in her hair and her hand was out of the window, the white material that had been her veil floating as if it were made of water.

"You'll have to open it to find out." Her happiness was contagious. Dom's lips turned up into a smile and he laughed as she quickly grabbed the small bag and pulled out the tissue paper. Finding the jewelry box at the bottom, Letty pulled it out. She handed him bag and opened the box up. A gasp escaped her throat and she put her hand over her heart. Letty fought with all of her might to push back the tears beginning to brim along the waterline of her eyes.

"Dom," Letty said around the lump in her throat.

It was a cross necklace. Not just any cross necklace. No, it was the silver chain that had been a symbol of their lives for as long as Dom could remember.

Tony had given it to Dom when he was fourteen at his confirmation. Dom had given it to Letty on her eighteenth birthday at a family cookout. He'd never truly asked her to be his girlfriend. He had given her the chain, pulled her down into his lap and everyone just knew. The message was loud and clear: _no one messes with Letty, she's mine_.

The necklace was there through every moment of their lives. When it wasn't around Letty's neck, it stayed in a glass jewelry box on their dresser. When Letty needed to talk to Dom about something important, she left it on the pillow on his side of the bed. It's how they talked through arguments. It's how Dom found out that Letty was pregnant with Mateo.

Jack was about three years old when she found out, so Letty and Dom found their own house about twenty minutes away.

In the process of the move, however, the cross necklace had been lost. Both Dom and Letty had assumed it was either dropped somewhere or stolen by the moving company. They retraced their steps for hours looking for it, but it never turned up.

She finally looked up at him and shook her head in disbelief. "Where did you find it?"

"It must have slipped out of the box for the armoire and into one of the boxes meant for the attic."

"I swear we looked everywhere."

"I thought we did, too."

Letty shook her head and swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. It was always meant to be yours." They gazed at each other for a few moments. He took the necklace and placed it over her head and pulled her hair from underneath. He wanted so badly to put his hands on either side of her face and kiss her soundly.

Instead, he grinned and nodded his head towards the table. "Whiskey?"

"God, yes." She started back towards the kitchen to grab glasses and ice. When she returned, he was cracking open the bottle.

"It's nice out. Not too hot. Want to sit outside?"

"Definitely."

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting on Letty's stoop, three shots deep and dying of laughter. The alcohol was beginning to take effect.

"Then I yelled at Vince 'she'll never date me now'! And I just remember him saying something like 'chicks dig scars'. I'm like ''not on themselves!'."

"Say you swear." Letty said through laughter.

"Oh, cross my heart." Dom crossed his heart and then held his hand up as if he were taking an oath.

"I never knew that."

"You were never supposed to know."

Dom had just finished telling her how he had freaked out after giving Letty the scar on the inside of her wrist.

"We were badasses." She commented.

"The worst; gave our parents hell."

"I'm shocked Mateo's so good."

"Give it time." Dom chuckled. He poured them each another drink. "Any birthday wishes?"

He asked her every year. And every year, she said the same thing:

"It wouldn't come true if I told you."

And yet every year, she'd tell him anyway.

"C'mon, Let. How am I going to make it come true if you don't tell me?"

"But since you asked," she knocked back the shot, "I want us to work on being better co-parents to our son."

Dom's eyes shot to Letty's, trying to gauge exactly what she was saying.

"Our bullshit shouldn't affect him. Sometimes I think he's the parent and we're the kids."

"Maybe," Dom rubbed his bald head, "I don't know, we could try family counseling? Something that gives us a platform to talk about what we're feeling. And with someone who's not biased."

Letty's heart seized in her chest. She'd wanted to hear that from him for so long. Even if it was a little too late, something Tony had once said to her rang in her ears:

" _Better late, than never."_

"Really?"

"Yeah, why not? Mia's been saying it works for her and Brian."

"Wait, they're doing family therapy?"

"Yeah, apparently it's been helping too."

The conversation she had with Mia earlier flashed through her mind.

"So, they're not perfect as we suspected?"

Dom chuckled. "Is any relationship?"

"They come pretty close."

"Yeah, but they're still human. They fuck up, too."

"True. Well, if you think it will keep us focused on becoming better parents."

"We're awesome parents, Let. Maybe this will help us become better individuals, period."

"Maybe it will."

Dom poured them both one last shot. He knew his limit and he still had to drive home.

Holding up his glass, Dom smiled at his ex-wife. "To new beginnings."

"To new beginnings." She agreed. Their glasses clinked together and they took the shot in unison.

"I'd better get home. I've got to get Mateo early tomorrow from Mia's." He said and suddenly Letty didn't want him to go.

"Okay."

He stood from the step and pulled Letty up with him, embracing her tightly. She had to admit, it felt nice to be in his strong arms again. And Dom took the opportunity to bury his face in her hair. He pulled away first, looking down at her, hand gripping her chin.

"Happy birthday, Letty." Dom kissed the small expense of flesh where her cheek met her lips. They both froze and gazed at the other for a split moment, faces close enough to kiss.

"Through all the bullshit, I'll always love you. You know that, right?"

He smelled of blended whiskey and everything that was so purely Dom. She nodded.

"I know."

She shouldn't have said anything more, but with the whiskey clouding her judgment, the brunette confessed:

"I love you too."

It was no secret. It never had been and never would be. They had their issues, but the love they shared was different. And both knew they would never find it anywhere else.

Until they could figure out what had made them toxic, however, it was best that they parted ways.

So, even with Dom's hand on her face and her "kiss me" eyes, Letty put a hand on his chest and gently pushed him away.

"You should go."

"I know." The " _but I don't want to_ " was implied, but never spoken aloud.

He leaned his forehead against Letty's for three heartbeats before pulling fully away and turning to jog down the stairs and towards the street to car.

Letty watched until his car turned the corner before she gathered the glasses and bottle of liquor and went inside.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: A day late. So sorry. New TE and Contractual Obligations coming soon, though._

* * *

Part VI

It had been a week since Letty's birthday. A week since she'd heard from Dom. He did this, sometimes. Went days without speaking to her, or they spoke through Mateo. He picked Mateo up from school on Monday and dropped him off at Letty's after they grabbed dinner. Instead of coming inside as he normally would, he told Mateo to tell Letty that he would call her. On Tuesday, Dom came to Mateo's soccer game, but he barely spoke to her unless it was about the game. Afterwards, Letty went on a second date with Owen, but found herself distant and unable to get her mind off of the conversation she and Dom had on her birthday. She couldn't understand why he was being so weird.

Wednesday and Thursday were uneventful and it only gave Letty more and more time to think. _Was Dom having second thoughts about family counseling? Was this his way of pushing her away… again?_ They'd been here before; there was a time that Letty could remember that Dom just disappeared when he felt overwhelmed. He would lock himself somewhere and brood, and when he came back, he'd be… better.

But they weren't kids anymore. He needed to use his words. Either he was in this, or he was out. So, it was Friday when Letty marched to her ex-husband's house while their kid was in school and knocked on his front door.

"Letty?" Dom answered the door, shirtless and confused. "What are you doing here? Is Mateo okay?"

"Yes," she replied, pushing past him into the house, "but we're not."

He shut the door and cleared his throat, sarcastically remarking, "Come on in."

"Look, I need to know if you're doing this ghost thing because you got scared?"

Dom was already walking out of the room, knowing full well she would follow him. In the dining room, the table looked like a windstorm had passed through. Papers and pamphlets were scattered in every direction and his Macbook was open. He sat before it and picked up a blue pen that he'd deserted when he answered the door.

"What is all this?" She asked, sitting in a chair to the left of him.

"I'm not going ghost on you, Let. I was doing research."

Her brows furrowed and she picked up one of the miscellaneous pamphlets entitled _Family First: A Guide of Los Angeles' Top Accredited Family Therapists._ Letty's heart skipped a beat. She looked over at another paper and splayed her hand across it to move it aside. A piece of paper was under it that had been crumpled and then undone and flattened out. She read the name on top in Dom's handwriting.

 _Dr. Hans Klaus, PhD, family and group psychologist:_

 _Reviews?_

 _Location?_

 _Experience?_

"Dom." She breathed in disbelief. He'd really been knee-deep in research for the past week. He was making sure they chose the right person to talk to about their family issues.

"I don't know much about this stuff. Mia gave me a few suggestions, but I'm not sure I want to go where she, Brian and Jack go."

"I understand."

"I just," he gestured to the papers, "...I don't know. This is new for me, for us. Dad never taught me about this kind of stuff." He picked up a few pieces of discarded papers and let them fall from his palms. She placed a hand on his.

"And you think my family did? You know my dad would rather use his fists than his words to settle family problems."

Dom looked at her and squeezed her hand.

"So, we do this together."

"Okay."

She looked pleased with that and she got comfortable in the chair as she started a yes, no, and maybe pile with the papers. When they finally organized them all, it was nearly time to get Mateo from school.

"Have you eaten today?" Letty asked Dom.

"I had coffee this morning."

Letty looked at him in shock. This was a man who could eat two helpings of anything at any given moment. For the longest time, Letty was sure he had a tapeworm the way he stuffed food in his face and then went back for more only moments later.

"I'll get Mateo and something for dinner and we'll be back."

Dom looked up from his computer and opened his mouth to say something. He shut it and then nodded with a genuine smile.

"Yes, dear."

"Unless your new girlfriend is coming over." She quipped, standing from the table and stretching.

"Jealous?"

"Hardly." She mocked him and rubbed his bald head on her way past him. He hated that. When he pushed her hand away, she told him it was, "For good luck."

He pretended to lunge at her and she squealed and jumped out of the way.

"Still a scaredy-cat."

"Yo mama." She replied, childishly and he actually jumped up and she ran for the front door. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"

Letty laughed her way to her car as Dom stood at the door.

"Can you make they steak teriyaki?"

"Yes, dear." She said before pulling off.

* * *

" _Papí_ , how did you and _mamí_ meet?"

Letty's heart fluttered in her chest as she cooked dinner for her son and ex-husband. She pretended not to listen as she moved around, stirring the sauce in one pot.

"Well, when I _first_ met her or when I met the woman she became today?"

"Woman she became today." Mateo said with a head nod, sure of himself

"See, your mama never could resist American muscle." Dom made a show of flexing his own muscles. Mateo mimicked him and they bumped fists.

"She could never stay out of trouble either. She was fifteen. First street race. Some kid trying to show off lost control of his car, wiped out right next to her. She's lucky she didn't lose her arm."

"And you saved her?" Mateo asked, as if he hadn't heard this story a million times before.

"No." Dom negated and he looked at Letty, who had turned and was leaning against the counter, arms and ankles crossed. He gazed at her and she looked down, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear and trying to hide a blush.

"I was the kid showing off." He smirked. Letty shook her head, smiling and turned back to the food. Mateo grinned widely.

"When can I have my first street race?"

"When me and _papí_ are dead." Letty chirped from the stove.

"But you and Daddy are never gonna die."

"Then I guess you'll never be racing." Letty told him. "Soup's on."

"Clean up your homework things and then go wash your hands."

Mateo did as he was told while Letty plated their food. Letty smiled as she placed their food in front of their seats. When she placed Dom's in front of him, he grabbed her wrist gently, rubbing a small circle against the faint scar there.

"Thank you for cooking, Let."

"You're welcome."

"And for making finding a therapist a little less stressful."

She took his hand in hers and squeezed. "Thank you for being all in."

"I'm starving." Mateo interrupted the moment: his gift since birth. He had his father's tapeworm appetite. The two of them together could eat anyone out of house and home.

"Me too." Dom added. "Thank your mother for dinner."

"Thanks, _mamí_." He picked up his fork and shoved a bite of broccoli into his mouth.

"Hey!" Dom and Letty exclaimed and looked at each other.

"What?" Mateo asked around a bite of broccoli.

"You say Grace."

Mateo rolled his eyes.

"Your son just rolled his eyes at God."

"I saw that." Dom replied. "Santa might not come this year."

"God is Santa?"

Letty snorted into her water glass.

"Don't be a smartass." Dom told him. They knew good and well that Mateo no longer believed in Santa Claus.

"Language," Letty reprimanded Dom.

"Sorry." Mateo and Dom sulked in unison.

Mateo said Grace and they ate a meal as a family. It had been more than a year that they'd sat around, just the three of them. And it felt good. Letty looked at her two boys, smiling as Mateo talked animatedly about his upcoming homecoming soccer game. When Mateo talked to Letty, Dom relished in the relationship that they had. This was what he'd wanted for so long, but when he had it, he took it for granted. He could see that now. They never wanted Mateo to be shuffled back and forth between two separate households. Hell, they never wanted to be divorced.

But here they were. Somehow, still together. _They were_

* * *

"Daddy and I want to talk to you about something."

He frowned. "Are you having another baby?"

"No, _papa_ , you're my one and only." Letty assured him.

Mateo smiled. "Am I getting a puppy?"

"Nice try, but no." Dom said.

"You know how you have counselors at school? They're there to help you with anything."

"Yes." Mateo replied, confused as to where this was going.

"Well, _mamí_ and I think it'd be good if we see a counselor outside of school. You won't have to be at every session we have, but we just think if there's anything you feel like you can't say to us, you can say to this counselor."

Mateo nodded. "This is because you two are divorced, right?"

Dom and Letty looked at each other. "Well, yes. That's definitely the biggest factor here."

Mateo shrugged. "Okay. Can I play video games for an hour?"

"Half hour. We're gonna get ready to head home soon."

"Cool." He jumped up to run to his room.

"Hey." Letty called and crooked a finger at him. He ran back to her and kissed her cheek and then his dad's. Then he was gone.

"That's your son." Dom said.

"We don't have actual proof of that." Letty replied. "There were moments when they took him out of the room at the hospital to take his vitals. They could've switched them is all I'm saying."

"But they gave us a receipt."

Letty smirked and stood to clear the table. "Stop calling his birth certificate a receipt."

Dom laughed as he got up to help. "That's what it is!"

"If it was, we could return him."

"Well not anymore. Thirty days or less, Let."

They got into a groove of washing, rinsing and drying dishes.

"I guess we have to keep him, huh?" She teased.

"We could've done worse." He returned and took a dish from her hands to wash.

"Mia told Brian that you went on another date with James Bond. You like this guy?"

Letty paused. "Did you guys have a sleepover and gossip?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, Letty Ortiz with a sarcastic topic change." Dom said to an imaginary audience.

"How was your date with the teacher?"

"It was a date." He brushed it off.

Letty didn't press the issue. She knew better than to ask questions that she didn't know the answer to. Still, Dom could read her mind.

"No." He said.

"I didn't ask anything."

"You were wondering if I kissed her."

"I don't care."

"Still," taking another plate from Letty, Dom paused, forcing Letty's brown orbs to meet his, "the answer is no."

She nodded, but said nothing else.

* * *

"Well, I stand corrected," panted Rome as he jogged on the treadmill, "Letty didn't cut your balls off."

Dom pulled two fifty pound weights from the rack at the gym and started his lunge routine.

"Because she never returned them after the divorce." Han breathed as he slowed his treadmill to a brisk walk. He and Rome managed to high-five without breaking their concentration.

"Laugh it up, fellas, but Letty and I are on a different page."

"Yeah? You guys doing to do the thing we talked about?" Brian asked, pointing between himself and his brother-in-law.

"Yeah, man, I think so. She's up for it and so am I."

" _Finally_!"

"Whoa, whoa. Do I detect a secret amongst the brotherhood?" Rome asked, allowing the treadmill to roll him to the end and he jumped off before he could fall.

"Spill, bro." Han added.

"Ah, it's morning really. We're just gonna do family counseling, that's all."

" _That's all_?" Rome and Han asked in unison. Han was in disbelief and Rome looked disgusted.

"Man, y'all are the most hard-headed people I know. This all could have been avoided if y'all would've gone to therapy in the beginning."

"That's what I told him." Brian picked up a set of weights and began his regimen.

"Me and Letty, we love differently. We live life differently. Some shit you have to work out on your own."

"I hear that." Han replied.

"Letty, she's got those eyes, y'know? The kind that sees right through the bullshit to the good in someone." He grinned as he remembered telling Gisele this same exact thing years ago. It was still as true today as it was that day. "I gave up on her when she never gave up on me, or our family. I fucked up, and now it's on me to fix it."

"Takes a big man to admit when he's wrong." Brian said, finishing his last set.

"Yeah, and DT is big as hell." Rome teased, smacking Dom on the shoulder.

"So," Han started, putting his hands on his hips, "burgers, anyone?"


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: I just reread the last chapter and it was AWFUL. I'll be editing it, but in the meantime:_

* * *

 _Part VII_

 _Rosedale Cemetery_

"How come you never told that love was going to be this hard, Dad?" Letty sat with her back to the headstone. It was cooler than she'd expected, so she shoved her hand in the pockets of her hoodie. She came here often to think, and to voice her thoughts aloud without feeling insane or judged. He never would have judged her when he was alive. And the advice? God, she missed the advice. There were times when he would reaffirm exactly what she had been feeling, and others that made her really think before she reacted. That wasn't her strong suit. Letty was the kind of person who reacted first and talked things out later. And so was Dom. That's how they ended up in this mess.

"I know life doesn't come with an instruction manual, but Jesus H." She huffed and leaned her back a little too hard. "Ow." Letty rubbed her head underneath of her skully hat and sighed, looking to the sky.

"Is this your way of trying to knock some sense into me?"

The brunette took one hand out of her hoodie pocket and stroked the soft petals of the flowers she'd brought.

She came here because she couldn't go to her own father. Even if she could, she wouldn't. He had been an alcoholic who hit Letty's mother. On Letty's fifteenth birthday, he took a swing at her. She'd ducked it and with quick reflexes punched him square in the nose. He never tried to hit her again. And as far as her mother, well, Letty became her coach, teaching her self-defense moves. Eventually, he drank himself into an early grave and while she and her mother hadn't lived happily ever after, it was close enough.

They weren't extremely close, but the love was there. Alex, Letty's mom, doted on Mateo as if he was still a baby. Candy, toys, soccer paraphernalia. Anything he wanted, Alex was sure to get for him. In the beginning, she was always around, constantly fussing over Letty's huge belly and making sure she ate and slept right. When Mateo was born, Letty swore he was going to think Alex was his mom. She did everything for him and for Letty and Dom.

But when things went downhill with their marriage and fighting with Dom wasn't enough to quell Letty's rage, she began to take things out on her mom. In their last argument, Letty rudely reminded Alex that she was only his grandmother and should stay out of the parenting. Then, Alex became a holiday grandmother. She saw Mateo on birthdays, thanksgivings, Christmases and New Years. She wanted to keep a safe distance from the small family. Letty had no clue, but Mateo and Alex spoke often. And the longer Letty waited to call her in between holidays and birthdays, the more guilty she felt, until eventually those occasions were the _only_ time they spoke. It was wrong, she knew. But she was turning over a new leaf, hopefully along every path in her life.

That meant reconnecting with Alex. She didn't know if it would include a rejection or a celebration. Letty only knew that it was necessary.

So, she pulled herself up to her feet and kissed her fingertips before placing them against the name _Anthony_.

"Love you, Dad. See you soon."

* * *

 _Dom's house, Saturday, 2:30PM_

"So, top two?" Letty asked Dom.

"Top two." He agreed with a nod. They tapped their beer bottles against each other.

"Should I call and set up a meet with both of them?" Letty asked.

"I'll call and set one up with the first one. I don't want to waste the other one's time if we decide that this one is the one we want."

"Fair enough." Letty replied and drank from her beer. "So…"

Dom looked up from the paper he had been studying and dropped it in front of him. "What's wrong?"

Letty tinkered with the raised logo of the Corona bottle. "I was thinking about calling Mom."

His eyebrows raised but he remained silent.

"I just feel like if _we_ are going to work on being okay, then I should work on being okay with her too."

"I think that's a great idea, Let."

"Really? I'm not insane?"

"Well, I never said _that_." He teased. Letty untucked her legs and used her foot to shove his shoulder. Dom grabbed her to defend himself and held it firmly in his hand, chuckling. "But I think it's a good thing. You and your mom have been through a lot together."

"Plus she's Mateo's grandmother. He should be able to see her more."

"I'm not saying that's not something important, but I think you and Alex's relationship should be the focus here. Stop using Mateo as a shield. If _you_ want this, let this be for _you_. You worry about everyone else and never about yourself."

"It's easier to focus on everyone else's bullshit."

"Yeah, but that's not healthy."

She grinned. "It's like I should be in therapy or something."

Dom smiled at her, his thumb rubbing soft circles against her ankle. "She says with no irony."

Letty refrained from rolling her eyes and instead reached for the paper that Dom had dropped.

"This one first?"

"Yeah."

"Did you make the schedule for next week?"

"It's your turn to make the schedule."

"Shit." She told him, her eyes widening.

"Well just use the schedule from this week."

"I'll have to check vacation times to see if anyone requested off."

It was insane, really, how Dom and Letty could be managers of DT's and Toretto Family Market without complaint, but they couldn't manage their personal lives. They effortlessly traded off days as management at the shop and the corner market, making sure everyone got the shifts they wanted and the paychecks they deserved.

"Should I be cutting hours at the market? I know you said things aren't the best at the shop right now."

"I think we'll be fine."

"I told you so."

"Couldn't wait to say that, could you?"

"Nope."

"Speaking of money, have you checked on Rosa and Nico lately? She didn't sound too good the last time I spoke with her."

"I know. I wish she would consider moving here."

"The DR is her home. We can't rip her or Nico away from all of the memories she shared with Vince."

"I know."

"I'll have Tej wire her a safety net, just in case."

Dom nodded. "Good."

Letty looked at the time on the cable box. "Shit, I have to go get Mateo from Mia's."

"Want me to get him so you can work on the schedule?"

Letty looked beyond relieved. "You would do that?"

Dom looked at her like she had three heads. "He's my son."

"I just meant," Letty stopped herself and instead said, "thank you."

* * *

 _Letty's, 6:20PM_

She'd just finished working on the schedule when her doorbell rang. Assuming it was Mateo, Letty shut her MacBook and sat it on the opposite end of the couch before hopping up to answer the door.

"I hope you didn't lose your key again, little boy." She said as she opened the door. "Owen? Hi. What are you doing here?"

"I figured I'd surprise you and Mateo with dinner." He held up two bags full of Chinese takeout.

"You definitely have the surprise aspect down pat." She told him. "Mateo isn't here though."

"More takeout for us, then." Owen smiled.

Realizing that she was being rude, Letty snapped out of it and opened the door a little more to allow him to enter. She led him into the dining room where he began to unpack the food. Letty retrieved plates and eating utensils from the kitchen and brought them back.

"This was really nice of you. Thank you."

"It was my pleasure. Anything to get to see you again."

Letty smiled before quickly bowing her head to give thanks for the meal. As they tucked into the delicacies that Owen brought with him, he asked "Where _is_ Mateo?"

"Dom picked him up from his aunt and uncle's house." Letty replied. "I had some work to complete."

"Did I interrupt?"

"No, I was finishing up when you arrived."

"Good, because I need your undivided attention."

"Okay?" Letty replied, unsure.

"There is a fundraiser that my company sponsors every year to honor the men and women who fight bravely for this city." He tried to gauge Letty's reaction, but she gave nothing away. "The Los Angeles Police and Fireman's Ball is in two weeks. I was hoping you'd do me the honor of being my date?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"I mean, I'd love to, but I don't own a single gown."

"Let me worry about the details. Just say yes."

"Yes."

"Fantastic."

"Now, I have something to ask you."

"I'm all ears," responded Owen as he put a forkful of broccoli into his mouth.

"Why me?"

"Because you're witty and charming and absolutely stunning. I can't think of a single soul I'd rather have by my side they evening."

"You're not so bad yourself."

The sound of the door opening and Mateo shouting his arrival was music to Letty's ears. She loved hearing him come home.

"Mom, you'll never guess what happened!"

Letty turned to the living room and saw Mateo rounding the corner of the front hall. Dom was right behind him. Letty swallowed roughly, unsure of how this exchange was going to end.

"Hello, my love." Mateo raced to stand beside his mother and kissed her cheek. "Say hello."

"Hi, Owen!"

"My main man, Mateo!" Owen put his fist out and Mateo bumped it.

"Dom," she started as he walked further into the house, "you remember—."

"Owen, yeah. Can't forget him." He said and the genuine smile he had in the living room became forced and tight. Dom handed Mateo his backpack.

"Go get your clothes, kid." He told his son.

"Clothes?"

"I'm taking my son for the night."

"Yeah! That's what I was trying to tell you. _Papí_ got us tickets to see LA Galaxy play Toronto!"

"He did, did he?"

"Yup!"

"Well, isn't he just the best dad in the world?"

"Yup!"

"We'll be out late, so he'll be home tomorrow after the barbecue."

Letty nodded. "Church?"

"We'll be there."

"Do you want to join us for dinner before your big game? There's plenty to eat." Owen offered and gestured towards the plentiful meal before them.

"No." Dom said before remembering his manners. "Thanks."

"My pleasure."

"I'll be outside. Send Mateo out when he's finished."

"Dom, you don't have to—."

"Have a good night."

Letty shut her mouth and closed her eyes briefly. When the front door slammed shut, Letty turned to Owen.

"I'm sorr—."

"You have _nothing_ to apologize for." Reaching over, Owen put his hand on hers and squeezed reassuringly. "I understand."

And how was she supposed to argue with that? From their first date, he'd been understanding of her situation with Dom. Sure, it wasn't ideal for Owen, who Letty thought felt constantly disregarded by Dom. But here he was telling her not to apologize because he would rather be in her company with a small rude disruption from her ex-husband than not be in her company at all.

 _Did that mean she wouldn't have to choose Dom or Owen?_ In all fairness to her, she and Dom hadn't even considered getting back together. Or at least, they hadn't addressed that topic. There was a small voice in the back of her head that told her not to get too close to Owen. However, there was a louder voice telling her that she wasn't getting any younger.

She would be forty soon, and while she didn't look it, she was beginning to feel it. Forty, divorced with a kid, and this handsome Englishman wanted to court her. He wasn't the only man who'd shown his interest, but he was the only one who she was even slightly intrigued by. His genuine patience, in the end, was what was truly keeping him in the running. She hadn't had that in a long time.

Still… _why did she feel guilty?_

An hour and a half later, Letty was walking Owen to the front door, thanking him yet again for the surprise dinner.

"Thank you for not making me eat alone. See you soon?" He asked.

She nodded and allowed him to place his hands on either side of her face. She knew what was coming next but she wasn't necessarily sure that she wanted to stop it.

So, Owen kissed her soundly and she kissed him back. And afterwards, she waited for him to reach his car before shutting the door behind her and sagging against it.

The quiet engulfed her. And when she closed her eyes, her mind replayed that minuscule moment when Dom had walked into the house. His eyes had been twinkling and when he realized Owen was there, his face fell before he quickly stilled his features.

Letty was stuck.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: I had to write a three page paper for my criminal justice class last night. Ya girl's gonna become a cop. (Look out Olivia Benson, Desi's in town!) Sorry this is late._

* * *

 _Part VIII_

" _Mamí_ , I'm home!" Mateo announced, followed by the front door slamming.

"I know." Letty replied from her spot on the couch. He rounded the corner all by himself and her brows furrowed. "Where's _papí_?"

"He had to go get ready for his date with Miss Neves."

She pushed back the jealousy and fury came flooding to the forefront of her emotions. "It's his weekend with you."

"I know. It's only tonight. He'll get me in the morning from _tía_ 's house." Mateo's grin that made him look so much like his father fell into place. "Speaking of which, can you drop me off at _tía_ 's?"

"Why didn't _papí_ drop you off?"

"Because I live here and this is where my clothes are." He told her, the ' _duh, Mom_ ' was implied. Mateo made for his room and Letty sat back against the couch. She was in a mood now. A bad one. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot against the coffee table.

 _Was this because he'd walked into her impromptu date with Owen?_

She sat in her own thoughts for a few moments, wondering if she even had the right to be upset.

They were so hot and cold. Some moments, Dom would look at her like his entire world revolved around her. And then there were other times where she thought they would kill each other.

"Ready!"

"Let's roll, kid." She hopped up, sliding her feet into the leather sandals she wore around the house and grabbed her keys from the table.

At Mia and Brian's, Letty leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen as Mia cooked.

"My, what a short dress you're wearing."

Over her shoulder, Mia replied flippantly, "The better to seduce my husband with, my dear."

Letty chuckled and uncrossed her arms. "What's the occasion?"

"It's our _homework_ from the therapist. We need to have a date night. So, I figured, get a babysitter, see a movie, screw his brains out."

"For shame, Mia O'Connor. For _shame_." Letty teased and hopped up on the counter beside the stove.

Mia grinned.

"Where's the sitter?"

Mia glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was a good question. She was supposed to be there ten minutes prior.

"I don't know. We agreed on six."

"Maybe she got held up with traffic. It _is_ LA, after all."

"True. I'll give her another fifteen minutes and then I'll call our back up sitter."

"You have a backup babysitter?"

"Of course." Mia replied as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "Don't you?"

"Yeah, his name's Dom." She snuck a sliced tomato from Mia's cutting board and popped it in her mouth. "If the first one doesn't show up, I'll watch the boys."

"You will?"

"Of course."

"I could kiss you." She outstretched her hands as if she was going to grab Letty's face before pointing at her sister-in-law. "I'm not paying you."

Letty laughed and pushed her finger away. "Cheapskate."

"Ha!" Mia turned back to the boys' dinner, sprinkling salt into it.

As luck would have it, Letty was assigned to babysitting her son and her nephew. Mia's babysitter called a half hour later, claiming she was stuck at work. Letty called bullshit, but told Mia her offer still stood. She saw Brian and Mia off on their date and was quickly sucked into a video game marathon.

"Go left, Mom! Left!"

"I am!"

"The other left!"

Letty made a guttural noise before she changed direction in the game. "Dude, swear to the car gods if I lose—."

The doorbell rang. Letty huffed and paused the game. "Don't mess up my progress." Letty warned the boys.

She stood from the couch and went to answer the door. Opening it, she was surprised to see Dom standing out front.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I could ask you the same question."

She stood in the doorway, crossing her arms. Tiny, but mighty. He cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm here to pick up my son."

"Oh, right." She remained where she was. "How was your date?"

He put his hands on her shoulders and moved her to the side. "It was fine."

"Second one, huh? Does the legend live on?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"Fuck you."

Dom whirled on her. "Fuck _you_."

They stared each other down, mere inches away from each other. Letty's chest heaved and Dom's nostrils flared. In a heartbeat, Letty was flush against the wall behind her and Dom's face was moving toward hers.

"Mom, who was—?" Dom quickly pulled away from Letty. "Oh, hey, _papí_."

"Hey, Kid."

"Can we stay and play more video games? _Mamí_ was about to crush some killer zombies."

Letty crossed her arms and gave a cocky smirk.

"I taught your mother everything she knows about video games. Let's see if I can't beat her high score." Dom responded. While the boys headed into the living room, Letty stayed behind, trying to catch her breath.

She put one hand on her hip and the other on her forehead. Her eyes closed and she tried to take a moment and process what almost happened. Dom was going to kiss her. And while she would have loved to believe she wouldn't kiss him back, she wasn't so sure that was the truth. It was hormones.

It had to be. Maybe she was ovulating. And it _had_ been awhile since she'd had sex. The last time had been the Valentine's Day after she and Dom were officially divorced. They'd gotten drunk and slept together.

But when Dom woke up, Letty was already gone. For a week or two after, she couldn't look him in the eyes. He thought she was ashamed of what they'd done. Letty, however, just couldn't bring herself to tell him that when she woke up at his house that morning, her heart had been so full. Until reality hit her like a ton of bricks and she fell from the cloud nine she'd been on.

* * *

 _11:03PM_

"I can't believe you're on my team! Go left! _Left_!" Letty huffed.

"I _am_!"

"Your _other left_!"

Dom gave her the side-eye but something else caught his attention. He paused the game.

"Hey!"

Dom pressed his finger to his lips and pointed behind her. From her spot on the floor, Letty turned to see Mateo and Jack were fast asleep. She placed the controller on the floor and stood to her feet only to squat when she reached Mateo's sleeping form.

Pushing, his hair to the side, Letty roused him from his sleep. "Hey, sleepyhead. You ready to go?"

"No." He mumbled. "Can we stay?"

Dom watched Letty as she stared lovingly at their son.

"Yeah, handsome, we can." She ran a hand down his face and then kissed his cheek.

"Mom!" He whined. She grinned.

"Come on, _papito_ , upstairs."

Reluctantly, he stood up and headed towards one of the guest bedrooms. Next was Jack.

"Hey, sweet boy."

" _Titi_?"

"You fell asleep. Ready for bed?"

"Yeah."

"Head on up. Your _tío_ will check in on you in ten minutes."

Dom was amazed at her. She was one of the toughest people he knew and yet, the way she loved, it was so gentle and tranquil, making even the wildest of spirits feel safe.

Jack grumbled as he got up to go to bed. When he was halfway up the stairs, Letty smiled and shook her head, turning to Dom.

 _There was the look._

The one Mateo had told her about.

" _What look?"_

" _Like you're Wonder Woman or something."_

"You're so good with them."

Her shoulders lifted and dropped. "All in a day's work."

"Let, we almost kissed."

She did _not_ want to have this conversation.

"But we didn't."

Standing to her feet, Letty put her hands on her hips.

"Letty, come on."

"No. We're not falling into old habits, Dom. It's not healthy. Besides, how do I know you haven't kissed your new girlfriend? I don't know where your lips have been."

"Hello, pot. I'm kettle."

He had a point. Owen _had_ kissed Letty at her birthday party.

"Even more reasons not to do this." She made herself busy cleaning up the game console and controllers.

"When did I lose you, Let?"

She faltered in her movements and turned to face him once more. Even with her hair falling out of its low ponytail and her eyes searching his face, she was a vision to him.

The front door opened and the spell was broken. Mia and Brian rounded the corner into the living room.

"Whoa. Tough room." Brian noticed immediately. Mia took his arm and started to pull him towards the stairs.

"Kids in bed?"

"Yeah, I'll get Mateo tomorrow." Dom told his sister.

"Sounds good."

When they were gone, he shifted to face his ex-wife once more. She was avoiding his gaze, pushing stray hair behind her ear. Letty cleared her throat.

"I should get going."

"Where to?"

"Home."

"Letty, you _are_ home."

"Don't do this, Dom."

"I'm just saying." He opened his hands, gesturing around them. Letty looked at the old house. It still smelled like it always had. And the memories that swarmed around her whenever she walked through the front slots were always a welcome change from the deafening silence of her house.

Her lips parted, but nothing came out. She didn't know what _to_ say.

"I talked to Dr. Klaus." He said, breaking the silence. "He has an open schedule on Wednesday evenings."

"Then I'll see you Wednesday."

She grabbed her keys from the coffee table and headed for the door before anything else could be said.

* * *

 _Office of Dr. Hans Klaus, Wednesday, 5:54PM_

The first thing Letty noticed about Dr. Klaus was his enormous stature. With the sleeves of his button up rolled to his elbows, Klaus towered over her. She had no doubt that he could bench press twice her body weight and still have energy to hit the treadmill. He was obviously Team Muscle.

The second thing she noticed, however, was just how gentle he was. When he took her smaller hand in his larger one and shook it, it was surprisingly light.

"Shall we?"

He led them into a beautifully decorated office. It wasn't very personal, but the man clearly had an interior designer. The walls were a soft mint green, pairing perfectly with the rustic, dark wood furnishings. His accolades lined the walls and a small fireplace sat to the western wall. Letty was impressed. Though, with the amount he was charging for one hour, she wasn't surprised.

"So, you're here." Klaus began. "That's the most important step. Like AA, the first step is admitting your problem."

Dom and Letty looked at each other.

"So, what's the problem?" He asked, smiling at them.

"Well, we're divorced."

"Which I'm guessing isn't the problem, it was simply your solution to the problem."

 _Damn, he's good_ , Letty mused.

"I guess my biggest problem is that I feel like Dom doesn't see me _or_ respect me as an individual."

Dom's brows raised. "That's not true."

"Dom, let's refrain from telling Letty what _her_ truth is, and vice versa. This is a safe space to share whatever we may be feeling."

The only thing Dom wanted to _refrain_ from was rolling his eyes. But they were here to fix things, whether it was their friendship, their relationship and/or themselves. So, he pressed his lips together and continued to listen.

"When did those feelings start?"

She shrugged. "Just before our son was born. I feel like he began to see me as just a mom instead of," she paused and shook her head, "as _Letty_."

"Dom, how do you see Letty?"

Dom's brows furrowed. He realized that he actually wanted to reply, "The mother of my child."

What had once been a brag-worthy quality _of_ Letty had suddenly become an uninspiring norm and _all_ that Letty _was_ in his eyes. He no longer saw her as the wild woman who hopped country to country with him, knocking back shots of Jack Daniels like it was water, and then waking up at dawn to hit the beach.

"I'm sorry, Let."

Letty nodded her head and found that her eyes were welling with tears.

"Why do you think that happened?"

"I don't know. We just became so domesticated. We were married and then we were parents and then… I don't know. We traded alcohol shots for soccer shots." Dom shook his head as if he was trying to figure out the exact moment that things changed.

"Yeah, I mean, we changed with life, but I'm still the same person."

"I catch glimpses from time to time. Mostly I just saw you cooking dinner and cleaning up the house and feeding Mateo. I feel like we didn't have _time_ to be those people anymore."

"So, you _make_ time. Just because you became parents doesn't mean that's your _only_ identity." Klaus interjected.

Dom's hand balled up into a fist against his lap.

"Yeah, thanks." He replied with disdain.

"Dom, he's trying to help."

Dom sighed.

"Sorry," Letty told Klaus.

"Do you do that often? Apologize for Dom?"

"I—."

"No, she doesn't."

"And do you speak for Letty often?"

"Yes." Letty replied before Dom could. "Always deciding _for_ me or _against_ me."

"What? I don't—."

"Oh, yes you do." She cut him off, accusation dripping from her voice.

"When?"

" _All the time_! Since Mateo born, even a little. I reprimand and you go against me when it suits you. It's like you _have_ to be good cop. You _have_ to be adored by everyone, even if it makes _me_ look like an ass in front of our kid."

"He's a kid. He's going to make mistakes. Punishing him when he does doesn't teach him a lesson, it teaches him that he's wrong for being human and it teaches him to fear us. That's not what I want."

"You didn't fear Tony? Or Carmen?"

"Yes, but I also adored them and I wanted to be a different kind of parent."

"Different how? Not teach your son that every action has its own consequences? How do we teach him right from wrong? It's not like we spank him. Taking away his electronic devices and dessert privileges is _a lot_ better than what I got!"

Dom's heart broke. He never considered that Letty was also trying to be a different parent than what she had growing up.

He looked at her and could tell by her red nose and the way she swallowed harshly they she was trying not to cry in front of this stranger.

"Let, I'm sorry. I didn't think about…" his voice trailed off.

"About how _I_ felt? Yeah, I figured that out a long time ago."

 _How long had she felt like this?_

Dom didn't know, but what he did know was that he was going to do his best to show her that he really did care about her.

* * *

"Yo. Kid. Food's ready." Letty said, popping her head into his bedroom. "That's cool, where'd you get that?" She pushed open the door and went to sit on his bed with him.

"Thanks. _Papí_ got it for me at the game." He handed over the soccer player action figure.

"You boys have fun?"

"Yeah. I wish you could've come."

"Ah, it was boys night."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I think _papí_ wanted you to come. He had a ticket for you."

"He did? How do you know?" She handed the toy back to him.

"I don't know. When we got to the stadium, there was a group of older kids out front. _Papí_ asked them if they all had tickets. The pretty girl said no, so he gave her one and told her to have fun."

"He did?"

"Yup." He bent the soccer player's leg and then unbent it, making sound effects. "They seemed really excited."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I asked him why he did it."

"And what did he say?"

Mocking his father's baritone voice as best he could, Mateo said, "At least one pretty girl will be happy because of me today."

Letty made a small noise that made Mateo turn around to look up at her. She had choked back a half-sob, half-laugh.

"You okay, _mamí_."

She smiled at him and pulled him against her chest, hugging him tightly. "I'm good."

"Mom, I can't breathe and I'm hungry." His muffled voice came. Letty laughed and pulled away.

"Wash your hands and then come get your dinner."


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Slowly but surely I'm cleaning out my cache of F &F fics and prompts. I'll post a few and if anyone is interested in having the plot bunnies to write, let me know. I feel like this fandom is slowly dying out, so I may make my way over to AO3 and hit the SwanQueen/OUAT fandom. That being said, here's:_

* * *

 _Part IX_

 _Letty's, Friday, 4:45PM_

The doorbell. Two quick knocks.

"It's open!" Letty yelled from the kitchen.

"It's open!" Mateo called from his spot on the couch, instead of opening the door. Letty scoffed as she opened the oven to check the food.

"Honey, I'm here." Dom's voice called. She shook her head, trying not to smile.

" _Papí_ , are you here for dinner? _Mamí_ made lasagna." Mateo asked.

"I am." He handed Mateo a bag of his favorite sour candy.

"Yes! _Gracías_!"

"After dinner only."

"Aww." Mateo's face fell but when Letty yelled that dinner was ready he ran to his room to wash his hands.

Standing in the dining room, leaning against the archway, Dom watched as Letty placed the glass casserole dish at the center of the table.

"Hey, Let." He said, his voice an octave lower. She looked different, so he gazed at her for a moment too long as he tried to figure out what it was.

"What?" She asked, pushing a wavy tendril of hair behind her ear.

 _Her hair!_

"Did you cut your hair?"

She shrugged one shoulder. "A little."

"It's different."

Her dark hair had been cut to just below her shoulder and she'd gotten sideswept bangs that seemed to shape her face perfectly. "It looks really nice, Let."

"Thanks."

For the first time, since she was fifteen years old, she found herself shying away from his attention.

" _Papí_ , wash your hands so we can eat!" Mateo urged as he rounded the corner and took his place at the table.

"Yeah, _papí_ , wash your hands so we can eat." Letty repeated and gave him a wink. Dom's heart fluttered and he pushed off of the doorway to do as he was told.

When he returned, he took a seat at the head of the table and prayed over their food.

"Mateo, Daddy and I went to that counselor we were talking about."

"What happened?"

"I talked about some stuff that made me upset. And Daddy will have a chance to talk about what makes him upset at the next session. Do you think maybe you'd like to come to the one after that with us?"

"Will I have to talk about stuff that makes me upset?"

"If you want to."

"Should I?"

"It might be helpful to have someone to talk to about stuff that you might not want to talk to me and Mom about." Dom replied.

Mateo considered this and he nodded before shoveling more lasagna in his mouth. "Okay. I'll go."

Dom and Letty looked at one another.

"He'll go." Dom reiterated to her.

"Oh, I'm so glad the prince is so pleased with my lasagna that he'll go." Letty teased.

" _Mom_!" Mateo replied, exasperated with his parents.

* * *

"The prince is asleep." Letty told Dom as she plopped down onto the couch. She sighed, closing her eyes and running her hands through her hair.

"Kitchen and dining room are clean."

Her eyes opened and she looked at him in surprise.

" _And_ ," he stressed, leaning forward and grabbing a glass of red wine from the coffee table and handed it to her, " _voila_."

Her brows went up further as she accepted the glass. "You didn't have to clean, but I appreciate it. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She sipped from the wine glass and looked at him. "You're a good man, Dom Toretto. Sometimes I want to wring your neck, but not often."

Dom laughed. "If that's not a compliment, I don't know what is."

He shook his head and his expression sobered up, just a little.

"I just wanted to apologize for how I've been treating you, Let. I need you to know that I see you for who you are. I always have. I dropped the ball, but I won't do it again."

Letty took what he was saying and let it marinate inside of her mind. She nodded slowly, trying to find the words to respond.

"I've waited a long time to hear that, and now, I don't know what to feel."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," she shook her bangs from her face and sighed, "I feel like so much of this pain and heartache could have been avoided if we'd talked a long time ago. But you're so stubborn and we both know I am. Why did we do this to ourselves?"

"I don't know. I know it wasn't intentional."

"Wasn't it? Little by little we made choices that brought us here. Why couldn't we grow up sooner?"

"Honestly, I think it's the opposite."

Letty shifted in her seat, bringing both knees to her chest and holding the wine close to her. Dom turned to face her, one leg on the couch, the other outstretched on the floor.

"I feel like with everything that's happened, we had to learn to be independent when we were really young. When I went away for those two years and the aftermath of that. Then that whole deal with Jesse and Vince. And what _you_ had to go through. It was a lot. We threw ourselves into this lifestyle while we were so young with absolutely no thought about our mental and emotional well-being."

"I can see where you're coming from"

"Then, we actually _had_ to grow up, we reverted to being those immature kids again."

"We fucked up, huh?"

"For sure, but at least now we know that now and we can fix it before our bullshit overflows into Mateo's life."

Letty was quiet for a little while, fingers tapping against the glass of wine. She took another sip before offering it to Dom.

"Do you think this means we were better when we're not married? When we're not living in the same house?" She finally asked.

Dom drank deeply from the wine and then exhaled. "I don't know, Let. I hope not. I want to believe that we'll be married again some day."

Her heart seized in her chest. Where that confession had come from, neither Dom nor Letty knew. But it was out there now.

"Gotta work on ourselves first, though." Letty added. It wasn't a question.

" True."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, the TV playing on mute.

"What about your boyfriend?"

"I'm too old for a boyfriend."

"Fine, your man friend."

"What about him?" Letty asked, picking imaginary lint from her jeans.

"Are you going to keep seeing him?"

"Are you going to keep seeing your tutor? I mean, girlfriend."

Dom smirked. "She's not my girlfriend."

"So?"

"I asked you first."

"So your answer depends on mine? Just like your entire reasoning for going out with her in the first place? Revenge dating."

"She's nice." Dom shrugged. "But you're nicer."

Letty laughed. "I'm sorry _nicer_? What a compliment."

"You know what I mean, Let. No matter what I'm always going to be comparing someone else to you."

Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she felt the same way.

"So what's the point, y'know?" Now it was his turn to pick at his pants.

"I know." She replied, reaching over and tried taking the wine from him, but he held fast. "Hey!"

"If we're in this, we have to be completely in. No outside distractions. I want to save us. Ourselves and our family. Do you?"

"I do."

He smiled and finally handed over the wine. "I love hearing you say those two words."

Letty narrowed her eyes and finished off the wine, putting it on the table.

"Ride or die, remember?" She said.

Dom smiled. "Ride or die."

* * *

 _Office of Dr. Hans Klaus, Wednesday 6:02PM_

In the end, both Dom and Letty agreed that they were happy with Klaus. They'd already established a report with him and they didn't want to start all over with someone new. So, one week later, they sat in his office again, a little closer than they had the week before.

"So," Klaus gestured with his right hand towards them, "you came back, and there are smiles. What happened in the last week."

"Well—." Dom and Letty started in unison. They stopped and looked at each other before chuckling.

"You go." Dom said, and Letty smiled at him. Dr. Klaus wrote something down on his legal notepad.

"So, Dom, Mateo and I had a family dinner on Friday."

"How was that?"

"It was comfortable. Familiar." Letty replied.

"Well, that's good to hear. What did you talk about?"

Letty told him about the conversation that they'd had with Mateo, and how Mateo was willing to come to family counseling with them. Dr. Klaus seemed happy to hear the news, writing down something else.

"Mateo went to sleep and Dom and I shared a glass of wine. It was a good night overall. It felt like old times."

"Yeah, but like _old_ old times, before Mateo was born. We actually sat and had a real open and honest conversation." Dom added.

"I see. What was the result of the conversation?"

"Dom apologized for being as ass." Letty teased.

"And you accepted it?"

"Well," Letty stopped and thought about it, "I didn't exactly _tell_ him that I accepted it, but I _did_."

"Dom, did you _feel_ like Letty accepted your apology?"

"I mean," Dom looked at Letty unsure, "I felt it, but I guess it would've been nice to have that reassurance from her."

Letty looked back at him. "Why didn't you say that when we were talking?"

"Because it's such a small thing. I mean, I know by now what you mean. I can read between the lines."

"If I may just interject," Klaus said, "but isn't that what for you two here? Having to read between the lines? Not exactly talking through everything?"

"Yeah, but I mean, does every little detail have to be put under a microscope?"

"Do you have to overlook little details often when it comes to Letty?"

"Well, yes, but—."

"What do you mean 'yes'?" Letty asked, her voice smaller than normal. "What details?"

"Just as far as the reassurance aspect. I mean, I _know_ when you mean certain things, but it'd be nice to hear it from you for once. Like when we were talking about your boyfriend, for example."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Fine, your Owen, whatever. When we were talking about whether or not you were going to continue to see him, you kind of just answered my question with a question. About Elena. What's that called, doc?"

"I believe you're referring to deflection."

"That's it! You were deflecting. Even though we said they we would work on _us_ , I never got a crystal clear answer about him. There was no reassurance. No—."

Dom struggled for the right word to use.

"Finality?" Klaus supplied.

"Yes, exactly!"

"How long have you felt like that?"

"Honestly? Since you got your memories back."

"You had amnesia?" Klaus interrupted.

"I had an accident." Letty said dismissively, not taking her eyes off of Dom. "So what do you think that means?"

"I don't know. Maybe you're scared to let me back in completely. Maybe you're terrified that I'll leave again like in the DR, and that I'm the reason you lost your memories to begin with."

"Like maybe I keep the finality of everything at a distance because I'm afraid everything is temporary?"

"Yeah, kind of."

Letty had had a lot of time to think about this very subject. She thought of it often.

"You're right." She said. "I am scared. I don't know what's going to happen and that terrifies the shit out of me, but I'm trying. That's why we're here, right? To better ourselves. Dom, was lost and alone when I woke up in that hospital bed. And sometimes I'm angry at you, but then on the other hand, we made our way back to each other. You want finality? Then you need to know that I _never_ blamed you for anything that happened.

"For a long time, I blamed myself. My love for you is intoxicating. It's dangerous. I literally risked my life for you, time and time again. And I still would. And that's scary for someone who lost everything only to get it back. Wouldn't _you_ be scared to let everyone back in 100-percent if you knew in a heartbeat that they could be taken away? Or that you could _forget_ them?"

"Yeah." He agreed. "I would be scared. But shit, Letty, what's love if it's not scary and new and exciting all at once? If you're not willing to risk it _all_ for even a _moment_ , just a _taste_ , of a real, honest love, is it even worth it?"

He was right.

 _And he was worth it._


	10. Chapter 10

_Part X_

Jogging up the front steps of a Victorian-style home, Letty held up her fist and knocked. A brunette answered the door, brows creased in concern.

"Letty? What's wrong? Is Mateo okay? Are _you_ okay?"

Letty gave a watery smile. "Yeah, we're good."

Remembering her manners, Alex opened the door wider. "Come in."

The house still smelled the same, like cinnamon potpourri mixed with whatever Alex had cooked for dinner. Letty looked around, her goals and accomplishments lining the mantle, side tables and walls. Amateur races she'd won, engine building competitions, even a spelling competition from the third grade. Alex was proud of her daughter and she would make sure everyone knew. Photographs of Mateo, Alex's only grandchild, hung on the walls and sat in ornate picture frames. It made Letty sadder that she'd been the reason that Alex and Mateo had missed out on so much.

"Are you hungry? I made yellow rice and _tostones_ with pulled chicken."

Letty shrugged and nodded. "I could eat."

A few moments later, she and Alex sat at the dining room table, tucking into their dinner. Letty couldn't remember the last time she had a meal that she didn't prepare for herself and her boys. It truly was like coming home.

"What's going on, Letty?"

Sitting her fork down, the younger brunette twisted her hair into her hand and pulled it to one shoulder. Alex could tell she was nervous about something.

"Are you pregnant again?"

"No, no it's nothing like that." Letty assured her. "I just came to tell you that I'm sorry for being a brat. I'm sorry I made it seem like your role in Mateo's life and mine wasn't important."

Alex smiled and covered her daughter's hand with her own. "I've already forgiven you for that."

"But I've never apologized."

"You have a child now. You understand. There's nothing you can do or say that I won't forgive, Letty. You are literally half of me. The only person who's heard my heartbeat from the inside. There is no breaking a bond like that. Your words were hurtful, yes, but that's all they were. I know _you_ and I know your heart, probably better than anyone else. You were hurting and you needed someone to share in that hurt."

"Still, it shouldn't have been you that I hurt. You weren't the one who deserved that."

"I know. Which made it that much easier to forgive you. I've told you your entire life that it's your actions that matter most to me. You, showing up here and apologizing? It shows growth and strength, but also humility." Alex patted Letty's hand and went back to her dinner.

"But I left you all alone. It's just us. You and me. It always has been. Even when Dad was alive. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

"I know. You needed your space to figure things out, but I should have been there regardless. You were going through a tough time with the separation. So, _I_ apologize for that."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Mom. Nothing at all." Letty could feel her tears threatening to fall. She quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "You took hit after hit after hit, physically _and_ emotionally, from the people who were supposed to love you. How do you survive?"

Alex swallowed past the knot in her throat. "Has Dom put his hand on you?"

"No! No, he would never! Even if he did, he wouldn't live to tell about it."

Alex laughed through her unshed tears. "That's my girl."

"I just feel like there is so much pain that I haven't talked about because I've seen you be strong for your family and I know that's what I have to do for mine."

Shaking her head, Alex negated, "No, you have to do what's best for your family. Are you blind, Letty? _You_ taught _me_ how to be strong, how to stand up for myself. And when I couldn't, you did it for me. It's time that you stop and focus on yourself. Since you were a child, you've had such a nurturing spirit. Always making sure everything and everyone had what they needed. It's time for you to be taken care of. What do _you_ need, Letty?"

"I'm trying to figure that out, Mom. I really am. Dom and I are trying our hand at family therapy."

"That's so great, Letty. I always thought we should've have done it. I mentioned it to your father once, but he was old school. He said we had to handle family problems among family."

"That's how Tony was, too. I think that's what made this so hard. We were so busy trying to keep our relationship together for thirty-plus years like you and Dad and Tony and Carmen. I think we forgot that no marriage is perfect."

"Exactly, because no _person_ is perfect. That's where you have to start. I know it's _family_ counseling, but there's nothing wrong with you and Dom trying individual sessions either, to work on yourselves as well."

That was the sign she needed. Letty had considered going alone. Her mother had only solidified that it was a good idea.

"Thanks, _mamí_."

Alex gave her daughter's hand one last squeeze. "Eat your food before it's cold."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

 _Toretto Family Market, Tuesday, 12:01PM_

"Hey, how's the tuna?" Brian asked, walking into the market, grinning.

"Shitty." Mia responded as she leaned over the counter to give him a kiss.

"I'll take a tuna sandwich."

"No crust?"

"No crust." He confirmed.

"We can be corny too. Look." Dom leaned over like Brian had and Letty laughed as she kissed his cheek.

"Funny." Brian deadpanned.

Mia got to work on his tuna sandwich and Letty cracked open a Corona for Dom.

"Hey," he said, getting her attention. "You talk to Alex yesterday?"

"I did."

"How'd it go?"

"Good, yeah."

"I knew it would."

"Your son has a game tonight. He wants tacos afterwards."

"Taco Tuesday?"

"Mhm."

"Margaritas for mom and dad?"

"Damn right."

"I'll bring the tequila."

"Cool. I'll bring my quick wit and good looks."

Dom grinned. "I can't wait."

* * *

 _Letty's, 6:22PM_

"Dance with me."

"No, no, no. I don't remember how!"

"Come on. It's like riding a Toretto." Dom replied. Letty slapped his arm, and nodded at their son who was doing his homework at the dining room table. "I meant bike."

Letty pointed at him in warning, laughing when he pulled her into his arms. Her hands found their way to his shoulders and Dom started to move to the merengue music.

"See? You can't forget what's ingrained in your soul." Dom told her.

"Oh, yeah? Riding a Toretto is ingrained in my soul, huh?" She murmured when Dom pulled her close to dip her.

Letty let Dom spin her to his left, and was pulled back into his arms just as the song was ending. His face was centimeters from her own and his eyes fell to her lips and back up.

"Your words, not mine." His deep voice seemed to drift slowly down her body causing an ache right between her thighs.

"Eww, are you two going to kiss?" Mateo asked.

"I'm sorry, did our son just say 'eww' to us?" Letty asked Dom, rounding the table to stand to Mateo's left.

"Y'know, I think he did." Dom replied. "He obviously needs to be taught a lesson." He made his way to the right of Mateo.

"Oh, there's no doubt about it." Letty pressed kisses to one cheek while Dom did the same to the other. Mateo tried to contain his laughter, but failed miserably. His small arms came up and he pushed against either of their chests in an attempt to get them to stop.

"Okay, okay! Stop!" He shrieked through laughs.

"What do you think, mama? Has he learned his lesson?"

"Yes! Yes! I learned my lesson!" Mateo assured them.

"He says it, but I don't know if he means it." Letty said and they assaulted him with more kisses. When they finally let up, Mateo was laughing so hard, his stomach hurt.

"Serves you right." Dom told him.

"Go wash your hands."

Mateo cleaned up his homework and put his things away before heading to wash up for dinner. Dom helped Letty the table and as Letty brought the food out, he started making margaritas. Letty walked back into the kitchen to retrieve the salsa that she forgot and witnessed Dom dumping half of a tequila bottle into her blender.

"Jesus, what are you trying to do? Get me drunk?" She joked.

"That's _exactly_ what I'm trying to do, Letty. And I'm honestly insulted that you had to ask."

"If I wake up hungover, I know who I'm hunting down."

He chuckled and turned on the blender.

Mateo stuffed himself on soft-shell tacos, packing away four before Letty reminded him that there was dessert as well. He also had a slice of _tres leches_ cake that Letty had made from her mother's recipe. Dom couldn't figure out where it all went. He still had room for more before Letty cut him off to shower before bed.

Together, she and Dom cleaned the kitchen, tucked Mateo in and made their way to the garage with the entire blender of margaritas. It was a cool evening, a nice breeze floated past them, cooling Letty's warm skin. Alcohol always made her body temperature rise.

Letty popped the hood of her car and took Dom's drink from his hand.

"So," Dom leaned under the hood and started tinkering away at something, "how's Alex these days?"

"She's good. She seemed a little sad, but I'm hoping to change that."

"What kind of sadness?"

"The kind that comes from loneliness."

Her wistful tone caused him to look up at her before turning back to the car.

"It's my fault if she is lonely. She only had me and Mateo, and I took him from her."

"You didn't." He stood to his full height. "Mateo and Alex talk all the time."

"What?"

"Yeah, they FaceTime and text. I only know because I saw a call coming in from his phone once." Dom shrugged. "You were the only stubborn one."

Letty tilted her head in agreement. "I think I was just taking my frustrations about you out on her. So I apologized. She forgave me."

"What frustrations about me?" Dom inquired.

"Just what we talked about in therapy so far. How I kind of felt like you weren't taking my feelings into consideration."

He nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"She thinks that I always feel like I need to be the protector and the provider and the one who makes sure everyone is okay."

"She's not wrong." Dom turned back to the car. "Sometimes it's hard trying to do something for you."

"Hard? Why?"

"Because most of the time, Letty," he strained to reach something, his arm turning, "you've already done it yourself."

Letty drank from the cup, knowing she probably shouldn't have had anymore.

"You knew that when you met me."

"Yeah, but when you married me, your shit became _our_ shit. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your own."

"You're one to talk."

Dom retrieved his cup and drained the remaining contents. Letty poured another.

"Guess we both have issues with compromise."

* * *

It was an hour later when Letty and Dom found themselves sitting in the backseat of her car. Letty had her back against the door, legs stretched out and her feet in Dom's lap. His head leaned against the back of the seat, reclined comfortably, and his hand stroked the sliver of skin that peeked out from between her skinny jeans and socks. They were drunk laughing at something that Letty said.

"Man, my dad almost killed me when he saw that empty condom wrapper." Dom laughed.

"Hey, at least we were being safe."

"That's what I said but apparently it was the wrong thing to say."

"I could tell that he knew. I swear it took two weeks for him to look me in the eyes again. Poor man avoided me like I had the plague."

"I _wish_ he would have avoided me. Everything I did after that was wrong. If I stayed out late, the first thing he asked me was 'you think you're a man now that you deflowered Alex's daughter'?"

" _Deflowered_?" Letty cracked up at that.

"That's what he called it."

"Aw man," Letty wiped away a laugh-tear, "that is good material."

"He came around though. _Finally_. He could tell you had me wrapped around your little finger."

Letty held up her pinkie finger and wiggled it. "Still do."

Dom gave her a brilliant smile. She reached over and pressed her fingertips to his face, letting her hand slide down the rest on his chest. Dom held her hand there.

"I haven't seen that smile since Havana. You were happiest there."

"I told you, it was you. _You_ make me happy. Wherever _you_ are, that's where I'm the happiest."

Letty knew she shouldn't do what she was about to. She knew the alcohol had taken over her ability to reason logically, but she also understood that there was no reasoning when it came to Dom Toretto.

So, she leaned in, taking his face in both of her hands and pressed her lips against his. What began with hesitation, ended with assurance that they were in this together. When Letty pulled away, Dom held her face close, searching her eyes for any ounce of reluctance.

Finding none, he kissed her again.


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Sorry this is late, I'm on holiday so I tried to disconnect for a few days. Super unedited, until I get back to reality tomorrow._

 _Trigger warning: PTSD, domestic abuse._

* * *

 _Part XII_

 _Office of Dr. Hans Klaus, Wednesday, 5:55PM_

"...and _you_ must be Mateo. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." Mateo responded, shaking Klaus' enormous hand.

Immediately, Klaus could sense that Mateo was more mature than most eleven-year-olds his age. He led them into his office where they got comfortable on the couch, Mateo between the two of them.

"So, Mateo, your mom and dad have been to a couple of sessions before, so they feel a little more comfortable with me. You don't have to talk about anything that you don't want to talk about and you just chime in when you feel like it, okay?"

Mateo nodded. "Okay."

"Is there anything that you _do_ want to talk about?"

Mateo opened his mouth, closed it and then shook his head in the negative.

"You sure?" Letty asked, reading his body language.

"I guess I just want to say thanks for helping my mom and dad. They've been fighting less."

"We don't fight."

Mateo gave Letty a look that told her that he didn't believe her. "I'm not dumb. I could always feel when I walk in on an argument. But I haven't felt like that in a couple of weeks so something must be helping."

"I didn't like when my parents bickered either, Mateo. It made me sad. How does it make you feel?"

"Honestly, confused."

"Why confused?" Dom asked.

"Because I know you love each other, so why fight with someone you love?"

"Do you have any pets, Mateo?"

"No. I want a puppy, but my parents keep saying no."

"Well, if you had a puppy, what would you name him or her?"

"Sweeper!"

"Sweeper? That's a cool name."

"Yeah. It's the player in a soccer game that sits right in front or back of the defense line for protection."

Dom and Letty looked at each other, having a silent conversation.

"Say you came home and Sweeper had chewed up your favorite soccer jersey, you'd be pretty upset with him, right?"

"Well, yeah..."

"But you'd still love Sweeper?"

"Of course."

"It's the same with the _people_ we love. Sometimes, they do or say things that make us upset. Arguing is a way that some people express how they're feeling, but it's not always a healthy conversation. Some things can be said out of anger because we aren't thinking with a clear head." Klaus explained.

"So," Mateo caught on, "that's why we come here? To have a healthy conversation?"

"Right and to learn how to have those same healthy conversations at home without me being around."

"Cool." He responded.

The remainder of the hour was spent with Dr. Klaus getting to know Mateo. Dom and Letty spoke every now and again, but for the most part, were content to let Mateo speak for himself.

"Well, it was a pleasure to get to know you, Mateo. I hope I get to see you again."

"Nice to meet you, too."

Letty lingered in the office as Mateo and Dom walked through the lobby. Sensing there was something on her mind, Klaus waited, looking at her expectantly.

"I was wondering if I could see you for a private session sometime next week."

"Absolutely. Call my receptionist and she'll give you some dates and times. Sound good?"

Letty nodded. "Thanks, doc."

"My pleasure."

Letty caught up to Mateo and Dom in the waiting room as they waited for the elevator.

"You okay?" Dom asked.

"Better than okay."

* * *

 _Mia and Brian's, Sunday 3:31PM_

All Letty had done was walk into the kitchen to greet her former sister-in-law and she somehow wound up in an interrogation room.

"Yo, Mia." Letty hopped up on the counter and kissed Mia's cheek.

Mia gasped and stage-whispered, "You had sex with my brother!"

"What?" Letty asked. "I did not!"

Mia stopped stirring the pasta salad and crossed her arms instead. Her lips pouted up and her right eyebrow rose.

"I didn't!" Letty insisted. "I just wanted to thank you for the great therapy advice."

"Mhm," Mia suspiciously hummed as she started stirring again, "the same advice I've been giving you for years?"

"That _very_ same advice, yes." Letty assured her.

"So, same advice, same Letty, same Dom. What's new? An improved sex life, I wonder?"

"Eh, same sex life."

" _Aha_!" Mia pointed the salad spoon at Letty, accusingly.

Letty pushed Mia's hand back down. "As in, celibate as fuck."

Mia accepted that and pulled out the aluminum foil to place over the pasta salad. "Fine. Wait, it's Sunday."

"Yes, and yesterday was Saturday." Letty said slowly as if speaking to a child. "Tomorrow is Monday. It's this _crazy_ phenomenon called a week."

"No, I mean, I thought you and Dom were doing separate things."

"We all went to church together this morning, so he asked me to come to the barbecue afterwards."

"Mhm, because he stayed over your house last night?"

"No, Mia." Letty laughed. "We're not sleeping together—."

"I never said sleep—."

" _Or_ having sex, got it?"

Putting her hands up in surrender, Mia replied, "Fine, fine."

"There she is." Dom said, entering the kitchen with Brian in tow. He kissed his sister's cheek before leaning against the counter where Letty sat.

"What is with you two?"

"I said the same thing." Brian said, she's wide, finger pointing at himself. "You two seem happier."

"We are." Dom and Letty answered together and then looked at one another. They had one of their silent conversations.

"Well, whatever it is, keep it up." Brian said.

"Don't encourage them." Mia told her husband as she picked up the covered salad in both hands and started towards the back door.

"Why not?"

"They're doing it." She said over her shoulder, exiting the kitchen.

"We're not doing it." Dom and Letty called.

* * *

 _6:15PM_

"Hey you." Dom said, handing her a fresh Corona.

"Hey." Letty replied, moving slightly to allow Dom to sit on the step next to her. She pushed hair out of her face and looked at him.

"Feels good, doesn't it?"

"What's that?"

"Being surrounded by family."

"It does."

"But?"

Letty opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it, exhaling and smiling. She shook her head. "But nothing."

"Come on, Let. Talk to me."

"I, uh, I invited Mom, but—," she gestured towards the backyard still full of friends, family and neighbors alike, stopping when she spotted a familiar figure. "She's here."

Dom put his hand on her knee and squeezed. "Have faith in people, Let." He stood to greet Alex as she made her way toward them.

"Dom, it's so good to see you. I brought _trés leches_." She said, kissing his cheek and handing him the covered cake pan.

"You didn't have to do this, Alex. Thank you."

Letty hugged her mom and the two sat on the stairs.

"I'm glad you came, Mom."

"Me too. I saw Mia, and _díos_ , Jack has gotten so big."

"He has, hasn't he?"

" _Abuela_!" A small voice shouted. Mateo clambered down the stairs. Alex stood and turned just in time to catch him as he leapt toward her.

"Hello, my favorite grandson."

"I'm your _only_ grandson." He giggled.

"Oh, yes, how could I forget that? Must be the old age."

"You don't look old."

"But I've lived a thousand years."

"Wow, you _are_ old."

Alex made a noise of disbelief and gave Letty a look to go along with it. Letty smiled and shrugged.

"I don't know where he gets that mouth." She joked.

"I do." Alex teased.

" _Abuela_ , you want to see Jack's new pet lizard?"

"Of course I do."

Alex was whisked away by her grandson and Letty laughed to herself. The elation that she was feeling that had been rare the last few years was suddenly becoming a frequent occurrence.

" _Have faith in people, Let."_

It wasn't her faith in others that Letty lacked, it was her faith in herself and her belief that she was worthy to have such great people surrounding her. She could definitely use another session with Klaus.

A few hours later, Letty was passing a sleeping Mateo off to his father and kissing her mother goodbye. They headed to Letty's car to deposit their sleeping son and head home.

"Hey," Dom said, getting Letty's attention. He put his hands on her face and pressed a kiss to her lips. Pulling away, he asked "did that help?"

"With what?"

"With whatever's been going through your mind all evening."

"I have no clue what you're talking about. That was one hell of a kiss." The brunette bantered.

"You'll tell me when you're ready." It wasn't a question, and no response was necessary.

* * *

 _Office of Dr. Hans Klaus, Monday, 4:10PM_

"With all due respect, Letty, you asked for this session? Is there something in particular that you wanted to talk about?"

Letty was quiet for a few more moments.

"I know that anxiety disorders are a very real thing, but I don't know if that's what I'm suffering from."

"Let's start from the beginning. What makes you feel this way?"

Letty lifted and dropped a shoulder. "My dad hit my mom and I don't just mean a shove here or there. He slapped her. Pushed her. Fractured her wrist once. Yelled at both of us a lot. He took a swing at me once, but I punched _him_ instead. I think I looked to Dom as sort of my safe space. But then a while back, there was a time that I spent months not knowing he even existed. So, I had to become my own safe space. Then Dom found me. And I was terrified of myself, of Dom."

"Why terrified?"

"Because how could I be in love with this wonderful man who would literally go to the ends of the earth to find me when I was lost, when I couldn't even remember if I was worthy of his love?"

"And when you did remember?"

"And when I remembered everything: that we were married, that he was the love of my life, that it had always been and _would always be_ , Dom and Letty, I was even _more_ terrified me because he was like my father too. Dom's so strong and determined and does the wrong things with the right intentions. And for a little while, things were good. Until they weren't. What attracts me to these masculine figureheads who are too arrogant to take what I'm feeling or saying into consideration?"

"Have you heard of PTSD?"

"Of course."

"What about C-PTSD?"

Letty shook her head. "I'm not familiar."

"Complex post-traumatic stress disorder. It's thought to occur as a result of prolonged trauma."

"I'm not the victim, here. My mother was."

"And you think merely being a witness to these events made you," Klaus searched for the right word, "immune to the ramifications of the mental effect that can cause?"

"No, but I used that to be stronger." Letty stood from the couch, running both hands through her hair. She stood at the bay window. "To always be the strongest one in the room. The one who could withstand anything."

"Forgive me for saying so, Letty, but that's unhealthy."

Glancing at him over her shoulder, Letty gave a trembling exhale. "It's the only way I know how to be."

"Then that is what we work on. C-PTSD won't get any better, especially in a relationship where there is an unbalanced power dynamic."

"If you want things to work out with Dom and Mateo, you have to be able to be vulnerable when you need to be."

Letty turned back to face the outside. It was safer here, the glass prevented anything from touching her. It was a lot like the wall she'd put between the world and her true feelings.

But if Letty realized anything, it was that safety didn't always equate to happiness.

* * *

Letty walked into the garage, chewing on her thumbnail. When she got to the office, she watched as Dom and Mateo went over a problem on Mateo's math homework.

She watched quietly from the doorway, smiling when Mateo worked the problem out with minimal help from Dom. He really was an incredible father. She always knew he would be. Dom seemed to feel her presence.

"How was your meeting?" He asked.

"It was… eye-opening."

There was something about the way Letty shifted from foot to foot that made Dom suspicious. She wasn't saying something.

"Hey," Dom said to Mateo, "run and ask _tío_ Jesse to get you a soda."

Mateo hopped up and did as he was told. "Letty?"

"Hmm?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just—" she shook her head and rubbed her neck, "I need you to know something."

"I'm listening." Dom closed the distance the two of them and put his hands on her shoulders. "Talk to me."

Shakily, Letty told him, "I want this. Us. But I'm more screwed up than I thought. I need you to understand that I need help." She was crying now and Dom's heart was breaking.

"Okay." He responded, his voice pleading and his head nodding. "So, I'm here to help. Always. You know that."

"Mom, _tío_ Jesse said I could—."

Letty quickly turned to face the desk, trying to subtly wipe her eyes and nose while Dom focused on damage control.

"—is Mom okay?"

"Yeah, _papa_ , she's good. What did your _tío_ say?"

"He said I could go with him to the go-kart racetrack this weekend if it's okay with you."

"Of course it is." Dom replied.

"Yes!" Mateo ran back into the shop to tell his uncle the good news.

"Letty, I got you." He pulled her into an embrace, squeezing her tightly. "I'm here."


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Sorry guys, my grandfather is really ill so I've been bouncing between work and the hospital all week. Forgive me._

* * *

 _Part XII_

 _Dom's, Wednesday, 7:53PM_

Their session with Dr. Klaus had gone swimmingly. The topic this week was the future. They spoke about the goals they had for themselves and what they envisioned for Mateo. Like any parent, they only wanted him to be happy. Whether he was a professional football player or a career student, he could never disappoint them. Dr. Klaus was there to remind them that no matter what they say Mateo doing or being, they should know that they had done their absolute _best_ as parents.

When their session was over, they picked up Mateo from Mia's where he declared he wanted to stay at his father's house they evening. Dom made dinner, a Cuban roast with roasted new potatoes and sautéed broccoli and mushrooms. After dinner, Mateo and Dom kicked a soccer ball around in the backyard while Letty cleaned the kitchen and then found herself a nice bottle of wine and what she thought was a trashy magazine. She retired to the family room where she could see her son and his father playing around. Darkness fell quickly and, with it, Mateo's bedtime, all while Letty lost herself in a few articles.

"There she is." Dom greeted her. He'd found her in the family room, sitting at the bay window with a magazine in her hands. She looked up and he watched her face lighten. It had been a _long_ time since he'd seen that look cross her face.

"Anything good?"

Letty folded the magazine back and handed him the article she had been reading.

"You know how some things are signs?"

"Showing you how things are meant to be?"

"Exactly." Letty nodded. "Read the fourth paragraph."

Dom sat on the window opposite her and began to read.

" _I'm a scientist in that way." He said, gesturing to himself. "I read something when my wife and I first got together that said the most successful men in history have been married. And for me, I knew that I would squander my life if I was running around. The way my mind works, I can only excel for a woman, specifically the woman who is_ _ **mine**_ _. Specifically, the woman who is my world, my wife, my confidant, the mother of_ _ **my**_ _children. My trophy. The one thing in my life that keeps me on track. Success is what I carry in my spirit._ _ **She**_ _is what I carry in my spirit._ _ **She**_ _makes me a better, more successful man."_

Dom looked up at Letty. "I swear I could have written this myself."

"I know." She smiled.

"My trophy." Dom reminded her while reaching over to stroke her cheek. "And not because you can be won, but because you are a tangible reminder of the one thing I've achieved in life that I never thought I would."

"And what's that?"

"True happiness."

"You don't need me for that."

"Yes I do."

"I'm glad we're breaking away from our family's communication traditions and beginning our own. I want Mateo to know what a healthy, honest love is."

"So do I." Dom handed her back the reading material. "I'm glad I'm on this journey with you."

"Me too."

* * *

 _Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School, Friday, 4:34PM_

There were three things that Letty would _never_ admit aloud: when she was sad, when she was horny and when she was _jealous_. Mainly because they were traits that showed in her facial expressions and through her body language.

So, there she sat in the bleachers at another of her son's soccer games, her jaw clenched and her fingers tapping impatiently on the metal seat beside her. Her current emotion: jealousy.

"You just gonna let her take your man like that?" Rome asked as he plopped down next to her.

"He can have a conversation, Roman."

Dom had run down to give Mateo a pep talk. They could tell he was frustrated with how the game was going. On his way back to his seat next to Letty, Dom had been stopped by Elena.

"With the woman he almost moved on from you with?" Rome looked Letty up and down, and feigned disgust. "Motherhood has made you soft. I don't even know who you are anymore."

Leave it to Roman Pearce to make her smirk when she was trying to be upset.

"Care to test that theory?" She questioned, a playful threat in her voice.

He put his hands up in surrender and stood up, walking away. Moments later, she was joined by Brian.

"Let?"

"Hm?" She was distracted, not taking her eyes off of the exchange between Dom and Elena.

"You know you're all he's ever wanted, right?"

That caught Letty's attention. "What?"

"Dom." Brian clarified. "You are who he wants. Dom and Letty is endgame, here."

Letty knew he was right, and he was sweet for saying so. She and Brian always had a special connection. Their friendship was solidified when Letty realized what lengths Brian would go to in order to clear Dom's name all those years ago. And even more so when he became her handler during the plan to get to Dom. And when she'd lost her memories, he had such guilt over the accident. The least she could do was remind him that even without her memories, she knew who she was, and no one could ever have forced her to do the things that she'd done. They'd been thick as thieves ever since.

And here he was, still encouraging her to go for it with Dom.

"Thanks, B." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Any time."

"Hey, man. Trying to steal my woman?" Dom's voiced shot through Letty's central nervous system and her body was suddenly ablaze. Her eyes shot up to meet his. There were slight crow's feet crinkling the corners of his brown orbs and Letty realized his age just then. All of their ages, really. And they were too old for the bullshit.

"You and Elena seemed chummy." She said to him.

Brian's brows shot up. "I should go—," he tried and failed to come up with an excuse, "be somewhere other than here."

It was her own fault, really, that Dom and Elena had even been friends. She'd told Elena that of all the men she'd ever meet, Dom was sure to be the realest and that Elena should go for it. Now, fury was slowly building and if she'd learned anything in therapy, it was that now was _not_ the best time to talk about her feelings.

Dom took his original seat beside Letty and rubbed his bald head.

"Letty, we talked about Mateo's grades and his soccer skills. That's all."

Still, he watched for the telltale sign of Letty's jaw tightening. When he saw it, he smiled. "Don't be jealous."

She scoffed. "I'm not jealous of your girlfriend, Dom."

"Don't be a liar either."

"I'm upset right now. I think I should go sit with Mia until I calm down and can express my feelings in a calm manner." It was an honest truth, meant to warn someone else that the person speaking was not in the right frame of mind to hold a mature conversation. Letty had picked it up from Dr. Klaus and no matter how badly Dom wanted to have the conversation, he knew he had to respect Letty's feelings and move accordingly.

Dom looked impressed. He nodded his head. "I'll go sit with Brian and send Mia down here."

"Sound good?"

Letty shrugged and turned towards the field. He kissed the side of her face and got up to do as he said he would. She found that she missed him immediately.

And she also found that her anger suddenly felt a lot more like arousal.

* * *

 _Letty's, 7:07PM_

With Mateo in the shower and Dom ordering takeout, Letty paced the living room floor, chewing on her thumbnail. The anxiety of an open, honest discussion always made her a little nervous, but this was different. This was Dom and Letty, 2.0. Communication was going to be easier this time around, she inwardly asserted.

"Chinese should be here in a half." He said, jolting her out of her reverie.

"I'm sorry." She blurted out.

"For?" He rested a forearm against the arches between the living and dining rooms.

"For being so weird about Elena. I just—." She trailed off.

"Don't stop expressing now. You just?" He prompted.

"I felt, I don't know, _possessive_ over you. And I know I don't have a claim to stake over you which makes it ten times harder to see you talking to someone you were getting to know… you know… intimately."

Dom crossed the room, put both hands on her shoulders and stared at her, blinking.

"Who are you and what have you done to Letty?" He teased. Letty shook her head, failing at hiding a grin.

"You're an ass."

Pulling her into his arms, Dom rested his cheek atop her head. "But I'm _your_ ass. I hope you know that. Feel free to stake a claim whenever you're ready."

She pulled her head away and tilted it upwards to look at him. He looked down and dipped his head to kiss her softly.

 _Yep_ , Letty admitted to herself, _definitely arousal_.

But she couldn't just back into bed with this man, no matter how familiar he was and how perfect it felt to be back in his strong arms. They still had so much to work on.

Kissing her once more, Dom pulled away before Letty could feel his growing erection. Mature Letty was hot enough, but Mature Letty with pillow soft lips and apple-scented hair was too much for him to handle in that moment.

"I acknowledge your feelings and vow to never make you feel that way again."

It was a statement of acceptance, something else they learned from Dr. Klaus. The sessions really work working.

"Thank you. And thank you for ordering dinner."

"You're welcome." He rounded Letty and the coffee table beside her to plot down on the couch. "Now, come snuggle with me before Mateo is done showering." Dom patted the spot on the couch next to him, invitingly.

* * *

 _Mia and Brian's, Sunday, 3:09PM_

Dom, Brian, Tej and Han stood around the grill, drinking Coronas and talking.

"I think Mia wants another kid. She's jumping me in every room of the house lately."

"Better than not being jumped at all." Tej replied.

"Here, here." Han said, tapping his beer against Tej's.

"How _are_ things with you and Letty, DT? Still platonic?" Tej asked.

"It's never platonic with Dom and Letty." Brian responded.

"We're working towards something." Dom told them, cryptically. They were a nosy bunch for sure, and even though they were family, Dom and Letty had always been private about their lives together. It was why Dom and Letty had long been considered the father and mother of their team.

"'Something', he says." Tej added.

 _In the living room…_

"Mia!"

"What? I just want one more. Then I'll be done." She shrugged. "Besides, Brian doesn't seem to have a problem with the _process_."

Mia, Letty and Ramsey laughed heartily at that.

"Speaking of process, what's happening with you and Dom?" Ramsey asked.

"Oh, they're definitely back in the saddle."

"Don't listen to Mia." Letty told Ramsey. "We're getting our shit together. That's all."

"Do you _want_ to be back in the saddle?"

Letty pulled a leg up, foot resting against the chair and she picked at an invisible piece of lint on her jeans. "I don't know. It's Dom." She lifted a shoulder and then dropped it.

"Exactly. It's Dom." Mia replied at the same time that Ramsey said:

"So what? It's Dom."

It was then that Letty realized, in everyone else's eyes, she and Dom were going to be together no matter what. Mia, who knew about Owen, never once asked how things had ended with the Englishman. Sure, Dom was her brother so she was a tad biased. But Ramsey, who'd only known Dom for half a minute was rooting for them.

And then there was Letty. She had only had sex with one man her entire life. She had only been in love with one man. And never once did she wonder what it would be like with someone else. She didn't _have_ to. Hell, Letty didn't _want_ to.

And while it probably wasn't the best idea to hop right back into the sack while they were in the process of working on themselves, could it really hurt?

Especially if they already knew in their hearts that they were going to be together in the end?

 _In the backyard…_

"I'm just saying if Letty is sending you the signals, you need to be jumping on that." Roman had joined the conversation by then and he was saying what everyone else was thinking. He always did.

"Wait," Tej said, pointing his beer at Dom, accusingly, "have there been signals?"

"What are we talking about when we say signals, exactly?" Dom feigned ignorance as he turned over a couple of steaks.

"You know, walking around the house in cute little shorts." Roman said.

"Touching your arm a lot when she talks to you." Tej added and put his hand on Brian's bicep to illustrate his point.

"Yeah, or the subtle yet no-so-subtly undressing you with her eyes." Brian looked down and back up at Dom.

The men broke out in laughter. Women were funny creatures. Most times they said exactly what they meant whether with actual words or body language but most men were just too stupid to comprehend it. But Dom knew Letty better than everyone else. She wouldn't do any of the things they were suggesting.

"Nah, none of the above." He told them.

 _In the living room…_

Someone Letty's internal reverie burst to the surface and she'd asked the only other women in her life, besides her mom, what they thought.

"I don't think it'll hurt. Might even bring you guys closer."

"You're already the time, might as well do the crime." Mia said.

Letty chuckled. "I don't think you can use that phrase for this situation."

Mia shrugged. "Fine, if you're horny, do something about it. Is that simple enough for you?"

"Nah. Nothing is simple when it comes to Dom."

"Sure it is. He'll undress you with his eyes, maybe touch your lower back when he's trying to move past you." Ramsey said.

"Yeah, or his voice will get deeper."

"I don't think that's possible with Dom."

"It's possible." Letty quickly confirmed. "But it hasn't."

"It will."

* * *

 _Letty's, 9:08PM_

Dom couldn't believe his eyes.

Letty walked into the living room, fresh from a shower. Hair still wet, black tank top tight in the right places…

...and black, volleyball shorts.

His nearly salivated just then.

"Whiskey?" She asked, standing between the living and dining rooms.

Dom swallowed harshly and then nodded. "God, yes."

His voice was gruff and lower than normal.

Letty who'd started towards the kitchen, froze in her movements.

There it was. The lower voice. The one that sent shivers down her body, making a pit stop at her core before ending at her toes, curling them effortlessly.

She exhaled a shaky, "Okay."


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Thanks for all the well-wishes and positive vibrations! My grandfather is making a slow, but steady recovery!_

* * *

Part XIII

 _Hot._ She was always hot. And not just a run-of-the-Mill Southern California in the fall hot. Letty's entire body was on fire from the inside out. And she was so goddamned itchy!.

 _Stupid, fucking chicken pox!_

A classmate of Mateo's had kindly given them to Letty's son who passed it on to his mother. Dom, of course, had already had them as a child and was subject to waiting on them hand and foot.

"You need to eat." Dom said, holding out a spoonful of soup.

Letty huffed and turned her head away, her feet moving childishly under the covers. Dom sat the bowl down on her bedside table.

"The doctor said you _have_ to eat."

"I'm not hungry." She rubbed her chest over top of her tank top. The friction that the fabric caused against her skin was extremely satisfying. Dom took her hand in his own, effectively stopping her subtle scratching.

"I didn't think I'd have to deal with _two_ cranky children tonight." Pressing to fists into the mattress and towering over his ex-wife, he watched as her lashes fluttered and her breath quickened. His eyes flickered down to her lips and back up to her eyes.

"If you don't behave, I'll have to spank you." Dom told her, matter-of-factly,

"You can't… you can't say that." She sputtered. He always was able to render her speechless.

"I just did." He replied, pressing his lips against Letty's. She melted into his kiss, her hands immediately reaching upwards to touch his face. When he pulled away, Letty gave a small whine.

"The sooner you eat your soup, the sooner you'll get better."

"Fine. I'll eat the stupid soup."

Dom grinned and picked the bowl back up. " _This_ is not stupid soup. It's magic soup, thank you very much." He dipped the spoon into the broth and held it up to her lips. This time she let him feed her.

"Mateo is knocked out cold, covered in aloe gel and vitamin E oil."

"He's had a rough couple of days."

"Yeah. He's more upset about not being able to play soccer than anything."

" _Pobrecito_."

"He's had his magic soup though." Dom held up the bowl, feeding her more. "So, he'll be better in no time at all."

"Mhm." Letty said, playfully side-eyeing him. The truth was, she did feel a little better now that she was getting some sustenance.

"I'm going to take her temperature again and then after you shower, you have to put on the vitamin E gel so you won't scar."

"Yes, Dr. Toretto. Whatever you say."

"Hm. That sounds like a good role play, too."

Letty weakly raised an arm and smacked his chest with the back of her hand, earning her a chuckle for her efforts.

When she'd finished enough soup to satisfy him, Dom took the bowl downstairs to wash it out before returning to start Letty's shower for her. He exited her en-suite bathroom and smiled at her.

"Come on, chicken little." He said, pulling down the duvet and turning around. Letty grinned and stood up on her bed, wrapping her arms around his neck and legs around his waist. Dom gave her a piggyback ride into the bathroom, setting her down in front of the sink.

"Do you need help undressing?"

She rolled her eyes, trying not to smile. Placing a hand on his chest, she pushed him toward the door. "Out."

Shutting the door in his face, Letty stripped off her clothes and headed for the lukewarm shower. Dom had supplied her and Mateo with organic oatmeal soaps to soothe their irritated skin. He'd been so thoughtful for the past four days and Letty couldn't thank him enough. But every time she did, he told her there was nothing she had to thank him for. He reminded her of all the times she'd cared for him when he was under the weather and that it was the least he could do.

" _Let me do this for you, Let, please."_ He had practically begged. And Letty had to herself that she was supposed to be allowing others to help her when she needed to be helped.

" _Since you were a child, you've always had such a nurturing spirit. Always making sure everything and everyone had what they needed. It's time for you to be taken care. What do_ you _need, Letty?"_ Alex had informed her.

So, here she was, letting herself be taken care of. And it was _hard_. Harder than she expected it to be, in fact, but it also felt good. On one hand, she was relieved that for once she didn't have to run around, making sure Mateo was better while making herself worse. But on the other hand, there was an inkling of guilt behind her relief. _Was she being a good mother by handing over the reins to someone else? Was she being a bad mother for feeling that relief?_

She pondered on that while she was showering and when she finished, she dried off, wrapped her towel around her body and exited the bathroom. Her bedroom was empty: Dom giving her the space and privacy she needed to get herself settled in a clean set of clothes. When she finished, she found him in the living room, flicking through the channels.

"I feel like a bad mom." She confessed, still standing in the doorway between the hallway and living room.

The tv immediately turned off.

"Why do you think that?"

"I was thinking in the shower."

"About?"

"I feel guilty."

"Why?"

"Because you're doing everything to make sure me and The Kid get better and I'm just sitting in bed letting you."

"So?"

"So, I should be doing something. _Helping_ him."

"There's literally nothing you can do, Letty. The chicken pox have to pass on their own."

"I know, but still."

"You're a control freak."

She scoffed. "I know you are but what am I?"

"What are we, 12?" Dom laughed.

She chuckled, shrugging a shoulder.

"I'm just saying, it's healthy to relax a little every once in awhile. Especially when you're sick. Besides, you're my wife and he's my kid, so—." Dom trailed off, realizing what he'd said. Letty's brows had gone up, but she didn't comment as she normally did. He was at a loss as to how she should finish. Letty put him out of his misery ten seconds later.

"Fine. I will work on trying not to feel so guilty."

"Good because you have nothing to be guilty about."

Letty put a hand on the wall, picking at a nonexistent chip in the paint. She looked up and then back at Dom, obviously trying to find a way to phrase her next question. "Will you stay the night?"

It had less tact than she normally had, but it would do.

"Uh, yeah. Of course."

* * *

 _Office of Dr. Hans Klaus, Wednesday, 6:03PM_

Seven days later, Letty and Mateo were given clean bills of health. To thank Dom for all he had done, Letty cooked him his favorite meal: steak teriyaki before their session with Dr. Klaus.

"So, tell me something. Anything." Klaus began.

Dom and Letty looked at one another, smiling.

"Well, our communication has gotten so much better."

"Yeah, way better." Dom agreed.

Klaus made a note about how much closer they were sitting compared to previous sessions.

"And what do we talk about?"

"Everything, really."

"I see. Give me some examples."

"Uh, we talk about Mateo, and ourselves. How we're feeling."

"Feeling about?"

"Whatever may be happening at the time."

"Mhm, and have you talked about how you feel about each other?"

"Well, we—."

"I mean—."

Klaus smiled. "I suppose what I'm asking is what is the goal? What are you working towards?"

When neither of them spoke, Klaus' smile broadened. "It's okay to voice your hopes and wishes here, and it would be helpful to reaffirm that this is a safe space."

"For me, I have to say I want to work towards having a relationship again, possibly marriage sometime later down the line." Dom said.

Letty's brows raised. This wasn't news to her, but it was the first time either of them had talked about the possibility of being married again. She looked pleased at this development.

"And Letty?"

"The idea doesn't _repulse_ me, so—." She teased. Dom scoffed playfully.

"Gee, thanks." He replied deadpan.

"All kidding aside, that's something that I hope we can work towards as well. Dating would be a start."

"We had a lot of fun the first time around."

"That we did."

"So then," Klaus interrupted, "begin there. A date. That's your homework, so to speak."

* * *

 _Dom's, Friday, 5:52PM_

"I don't even know why I invited you guys here." Dom told his friends.

"Because were the comedic relief. I thought that was clear. Were we not clear?" Rome asked no one in particular.

"We were plenty clear," Han replied, "Dom is just nervous."

"Why? It's Letty."

" _Exactly_! It's _Letty_! He fucked up last time." Tej added.

"They _both_ fucked up last time." Brian said. "So, there's a little more at stake here."

"The added pressure really helps. Thanks guys." Dom said, taking a swig from his beer.

"The outfit works though. It's very Dom."

Dom looked down at his black cargo pants and black Henley shirt. "It's the same outfit I wore the first time I met Letty."

"It's also the same outfit you wear when you pay your taxes."

Brian smacked Rome's arm with the back of his hand.

Han, with all of his quiet influence, cuffed Dom on the arm. "You look great Dom. She'll love it."

And that was that.

* * *

 _Letty's, Friday, 6:23PM_

"Damn, Letty." Ramsey said when the Latina walked into the living room.

"What? Too much?"

"You look great." Mia told her.

Letty pulled a hair tie off of her wrist. "Hair up or down?"

"Up."

Letty wrapped her dark hair into a low ponytail and held up her hands as if asking for approval.

"Perfect. He's gonna love it."

"He'd better." Letty joked.

"Are you going to sleep with him on the first date?" Mia asked, conspiratorially, and handed her a glass of wine.

"Even if I did, I wouldn't kiss and tell." Letty told her. And then the doorbell rang.

Followed by two knocks.

"That's him."

"How do you know?" Mia inquired.

"He always knocks twice." Letty replied as she went to open the front door and experienced the strongest _déjà vu_.

"Hi." She breathed.

"Hey." He greeted in the same tone. "You look amazing, Let."

"You don't look so bad yourself."

And while Letty didn't know what the night had in store for them, she knew she was about to experience something different.

"We expect her back by midnight." Ramsey warned.

"Yeah. And no sex, drugs or rock 'n' roll." Mia added.

"Yes ma'am." Dom said and gave Letty his undivided attention. "Ready?"

"Ready." She took her keys and wallet from Ramsey who held them up and let Dom lead the way.

From the doorway, Ramsey and Mia watched as they got into the car and shut the doors in unison.

"They're totally having sex tonight." Mia began.

"Oh, without a doubt."


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: I didn't know "flash-drag races" existed until this past weekend. It was a phenomenal experience. PS. I'm evil. Sorry, not sorry._

* * *

 _Part XIV_

 _Petty Cash Taqueria, 7:33PM_

"Oh my god!" Letty moaned. "This is the best fucking taco I've ever had."

"I'm telling Hector." Dom said around a mouthful of an _al pastor_ taco.

"I'm just saying what we're both thinking." She swallowed and used her ring and pinky fingers to bring the straw of her margarita closer to her mouth.

"Fair enough."

Letty grabbed a napkin and wiped the side of his mouth.

"So," Dom took a swig if his Corona, "good food, good drinks."

"Good company." Letty added, gesturing to him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Did you ever have even the tiniest of feelings that we would be together?"

"You mean now or in the beginning?"

"Both." He signaled for their waitress that he wanted another Corona. He pointed to Letty's margarita in question. She shook her head in the negative.

"In the beginning, I hoped. You know that."

"And then I finally got you."

"Bullshit. You didn't want me in the beginning."

"I wasn't supposed to want you. I was older, and you and Mia were best friends."

"Mhm." She said, and he knew she didn't believe a word he was saying.

"And then I saw you race." He gazed at her, smiling brilliantly. "And I just knew."

"Knew what?"

"That I would marry you."

"And you knew how much I didn't want to ever get married or ever have kids."

"I broke you down, baby."

"You did absolutely nothing. It was fate."

"Fate?"

"Yes, fate. Do you realize that we never have to speak on our relationship, and everyone just _knows_? As if it's as natural as breathing."

"It is."

For a moment, they just stared at one another, with Dom breaking the silence briefly.

"And then there's this." He mentioned.

He didn't have to explain any further. Letty knew what he meant. They could talk without words; conversations with their eyes. It was a skill they'd perfected decades ago, and had come in handy on more than one occasion.

"Then there's this." Letty repeated, in quiet agreement.

"You know something? For awhile, I lost my faith."

"In us?"

"In God."

Try as she might, Letty was unable to hide her surprise. If Dom was anything, he was a man of faith. He was driven by it. He prayed before meals, he attended Sunday mass, he went to confession when he felt called to do so.

"I know you inside and out," Dom said, "and I could tell you were changing. I could tell that _we_ were changing. I prayed harder and more often. I asked for guidance. What should I do? How do I get us back to where we were? And we still got divorced. And I couldn't help but curse God. I mean, how could He give me something so perfect for me, only to take it away?"

"Did you ever get answers?"

"Mia said that God helps those who help themselves, and that if He gives us a garden, we still have to tend it, even in through the winters."

"Mia's right. I wish she would have told me that before I filed for divorce."

Dom shrugged. "I know now that the divorce was a part of the plan all along."

He held up his last burrito and looked at her expectantly. She gave a small laugh and held up hers, tapping it against the one in his hand.

"Cheers." He said.

" _Salúd_."

* * *

 _8:43PM_

There was something about Letty's giggle that made Dom want to hear more. It wasn't a schoolgirl giggle. No, it was all woman; not quite a cackle and not a full-on laugh but it did come from somewhere deep within. And just as quickly as it left her mouth, it was gone, floating in the warm SoCal breeze. It was even more worth relishing when _he_ was the reason behind it.

"Thank you for dinner. It was amazing." Letty said.

"You're welcome. There's more."

"What else do you have planned?"

"Wait 'til you see."

And there it was: the sweetest noise Dom had ever heard. They got into his car, shutting their doors in unison and Dom took off towards the Californian desert for the next stage of their date.

With the windows open, warm air blowing across their skin, Dom and Letty talked and laughed just like old times. LAnd even when silence fell over them, it was comfortable and familiar.

Suddenly, Letty heard the roar a multiple engines and she glanced at the side mirror. There were at least three pair of headlights zooming towards them. Dom pulled his phone from his pocket and held it up to unlock it before handing it to her.

"Tap the third icon." He instructed. She did.

A real time video began to play, and it looked as if it were being shot from way above them. She was able to see the multiple cars behind them, and as two shot past them on either side, Letty witnessed it on the app as well.

"What's this?"

"Keep watching." Dom grinned.

And so she did.

Joined by more and more cars by the minute, Letty watched as each car perfected a series of complex maneuvers. Each car had battery operated lights stuck to the roof of them and it made the show that much more beautiful to see.

"This is crazy." Letty breathed.

"Right?" Dom asked. "It's called a flash drag-race. Kind of like those flash mob dance videos. There's a drone above us. It's being live streamed and will probably go viral."

Letty knew she was getting old. The technology amazed her, and it was like nothing she'd ever seen before. Sure, Tej and Ramsey had some cool toys, but experiencing this was on an entirely new level.

Dom sped up towards the front of the line and all of the other cars fell into line behind him. Just as quickly as it began, it was ending with the cars behind him each taking off in a different direction.

Dom flew forward into a seemingly unknown destination, but before long, Letty could see the bright lights of the city below them. He drifted briefly around a bend that she recognized as the famous Mulholland Drive, home to the Hollywood sign, and it wasn't long before they were heading back into LA traffic.

* * *

 _Letty's, 10:01PM_

"Want a drink?" Letty asked as they pulled up to her house.

"Definitely."

Once inside, Dom and Letty headed to the kitchen, stepping around each other while they figured out what they were drinking.

"Ice?"

"No, chilled is fine."

Dom pulled down wine glasses and Letty found the wine in the fridge. Their conversation was quiet, shy even, neither really knowing how the evening was going to end, but both knowing how they _hoped_ it would. They decided to retire on the back patio. Dom lit Letty's firepit he'd built for her and sat on the semi-circle couch that surrounded it.

"I had so much fun tonight."

"I'm glad. I did too."

"Is it bad that I haven't once wondered what Mateo was up to?"

"He's sage and happy at Mia and Brian's. He and Jack are probably still up playing video games."

"True."

"Besides, it's good for parents to have adult time."

"Adult? Is that what we are now?"

Dom laughed. "Unfortunately."

"I can't believe we had to grow up so fast. I wish we were still those badass teenagers sneaking out to races, drinking underage, jacking electronic trucks."

"We had some good times."

"Yeah, we did." Dom tapped his glass against Letty's and they both took a sip.

"I know shit was hard, but I have to be honest, I'm glad we did it together, though, Let."

"Me too."

Dom rubbed his head and leaned forward until his forearms rested against his thighs.

"What are you thinking?"

"The other day I wrote something."

A little confused, Letty gave him a look and repeated his statement, "You… wrote… something?"

"Yeah. To you. A letter. Klaus said it would be a good idea."

"Where is it?"

Dom opened the side pocket of his cargos and produced a paper folded in fourths and handed it to her. Sitting her wine down, Letty took it from him and opened it excitedly.

 _Letty,_

 _First, I want to be man enough to explain that I'm writing this letter because I'm afraid of you. Not physically, but emotionally. You're the strongest person I know and what really scares me is that you are strong enough to call me on my shit. You had enough strength to leave me when I wasn't being the man you needed me to be. You had enough strength to know that staying together while we were unhappy wasn't smart for our son. I'm afraid that you won't choose me, despite us being meant for each other. But what I'm truly afraid of is that I'm not strong enough to bear not having you in my world. Ever since our relationship began, I have never been alone. We've done everything as a team, until I forgot what being a team truly meant. Family has always been important to me, but even with the untraditional family that we've created, I tried to hard to control everything. And for that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for every heartbreak I put you through my my control issues. I'm sorry for any tears you cried, any anger you've felt because of me and any time you felt_ _alone_ _. You are a_ _good_ _person, Letty, and you've made me a better man than I've ever been. Thank you, and I love you._

 _Dom_

When Letty looked up from the letter, Dom wasn't beside her. She hadn't even heard him get up. Taking the letter with her, she traipsed back into the house and searched for him. He wasn't hard to find; sitting on the couch in the living room, rubbing his bald head, nervously.

When he saw her approaching, Dom stood to his feet, immediately telling her, "Letty, I'm sorry for everything. I really am. I never meant for any of this to happen. Hurting you is the worst thing I've ever done. The one person who's been there for me throughout it _all_. I love you. I always have and I always w—."

Letty rushed over to him, stood on her tiptoes and kissed him soundly.

It was the first time since their divorce that he actually apologized for the hurt he caused her. Letty couldn't believe her ears. This was coming from Dominic Toretto. It was surreal. It was strange how hearing those words and seeing the action that Dom had put forth recently took away a lot of the hurt he'd caused. Of course it was easier to forgive than forget, but Letty appreciated the sentiment.

"I'm sorry, too." She said when she pulled away. "I should have tried to communicate more. Running wasn't the solution."

"I just want to move forward, Let."

"So do I. We still have a lot to work on, but we'll do it together, right?"

"Absolutely." He smiled his crooked smile and Letty put her hands on his face, kissing him again.

It took mere moments for the kiss to become something else entirely. Letty pushed Dom back onto the couch and straddled his lap before her lips found his again. Dom's hands found her hips almost immediately and his fingers dug into the material of her skinny jeans. Letty broke their kiss only to remove her singlet. When Dom got a sight of her black bra, he groaned audibly.

"Christ." He whispered before capturing her mouth again. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I know you're just trying to be a nice guy, but it's turning me on even more." Letty murmured.

"Upstairs?" He asked between kisses. Letty could only nod because her mouth was too busy allowing Dom's tongue entrance. He grabbed hold of her thighs and stood from the couch, making his way to the stairs, his lips never leaving hers.


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: Could it be? Have we finally earned an 'M' rating? Unedited._

* * *

 _Part XV_

 _Letty's, 10:32PM_

Dom laid Letty on the bed, his lips never leaving hers. He pulled away, just barely, to pull off his shirt. Letty raised up, just enough to assist him before leaning back on her elbows. His lips found hers again, this time with more force and desperation, as if they few seconds they'd been away from Letty was entirely too long. He unbuttoned her pants while she undid his and pushed them down as far as they could go. Dom assisted her, kicking them off before returning to pull her pants off too.

Thanking every god he could think of, Dom drank in the sight of Letty's tanned skin. It was firm in some places and softer in others and to him, pure perfection. Dom's hand attached themselves to Letty's breasts and squeezed gently. Her back arched, pushing them further into his large, strong hands. Fingers slipped into the cups of her bra and gently yanked until her hardened nipped were exposed to him. Almost immediately, Dom went for one, running his tongue around it while softly pinching the other.

Letty was practically panting by the time he switched breasts. She put her hands on his face, wordlessly telling him she needed his attention elsewhere. He reached around and, single-handedly, unhooked her bra, pulling it off and tossing it away. His kissed her lips once more before kissing a trail down her neck. Dom sucked on her pulse point, smiling against her skin when her thighs tightened around his waist.

"Dom." She panted in his ear. He put her out of her misery by slipping a hand down her stomach and beneath her panties. He had to pause, resting his head against the comforter when he felt her slick heat.

"Christ." He whispered and slid further down, one finger testing her resistance. Dom dragged his middle finger back upwards and swirled it around her clit in tight, firm circles. Her legs lifted, her pussy clenched around absolutely nothing and for a moment she considered begging him just _fill her already_. But she enjoyed the teasing and Dom was so terribly good at it.

It was when he twisted his palm and the heel of his hand pressed against her clit was she aware of how close she was to her first climax.

"Please." She finally begged. And Dom slipped his tongue quickly into her ear while rubbing quick circles with the heel of his hand.

And she was _gone_.

Before she could even come down from the first high, Dom was pulling her panties off, leaving her completely naked before him. Letty blinked once and before she could again, Dom's head was between her legs and his face was pressed against her pussy, tongue deep inside. She yelled out, her hands flying to his head, urging his impossibly closer.

"Dom!"

He replaced his tongue with two fingers and lavished her clit with the attention it needed. Letty rolled her hips, shifting the placement of his tongue with the perfect rhythm. Dom wrapped his arms around her thighs and sucked just soft enough to send Letty over the edge into her second orgasm. Grabbing his head, Letty urged him up towards her mouth, simultaneously kissing him and tasting herself. Her hands fell to hips, pushing his boxer-briefs as far as she could. They got just under his ass before she decided she could wait any longer.

Taking hold of him, Letty slipped the length of him against her core, drenching him. Dom groaned his approval, allowing her to have her way with him.

And when she lined him up with her entrance, he bore forward. Letty gasped, and Dom moaned.

"More." She commanded. So he gave her more. And more.

And just a little more until he was seated firmly inside of her sweetness.

" _Jesus fuck_."

Dom filled her perfectly.

He pulled out and pressed back in. Again and again, until Letty could finally do more than just take it. Her hips rolled as she ground against him, squeezing him tightly. The words she whispered were enough to make any grown man blush. And they only kept Dom going, giving her everything she was asking for. His pelvis slammed against her clit every time he entered her depths and it wouldn't be long before…

"Don't stop! _So_ … _close._ "

 _Thank god,_ Dom thought. Because there was _no way_ he was lasting much longer.

When she came, Letty's walls milked Dom's cock, wrenching tightly. He gritted his teeth and unsure of her birth control methods, he quickly pulled out, groaning her name as he came in spurts.

* * *

 _Mia's, 11:30PM_

Laughter. Nothing but laughter rang out from Mia and Brian's kitchen. With the kids asleep, the adults had time to drink and speculate about what Dom and Letty were up to.

"Nah, I'm serious. My guy DT has her in bed and _right now_ giving her the works. I put my entire savings on it."

"So, ten dollars." Tej translated. More laughter at Rome's expense.

"That's horrid. Maybe he gave her an innocent kiss goodnight and parted ways."

"This ain't a Jane Austen novel, Brits 'R' Us. This is Dom and Letty!" Roman shot back.

Tej threw an arm around Ramsey's shoulder. "I love you, but I have to agree with Rome on this one."

"Brian, help me out here." Rome pointed his beer at the blond. "You know I'm right."

Brian looked at his wife before shrugging. A smirk on his lips as he drank from his Corona. "It _is_ Dom we're talking about."

" _Thank_ you!"

"Only question is if he just smacked it or if he grabbed it and held onto it." Tej laughed.

"That's disgusting." Mia told him, laughter in her voice. "That's my brother."

"Doesn't matter." Han finally spoke up. "Letty and Dom _belong_ together. Only thing that matters now is that they put in the work. A soulmate is hard to find and even harder to keep. Let's just make sure we're there to hold them accountable for their actions."

Han looked around and saw nods of agreement.

"To Dom and Letty, without them, we wouldn't be the family we are today."

"To Dom and Letty." They tapped the bottles closest to themselves and drank deeply.

"For real though," Rome whispered to Tej, "he held onto it."

"For sure." Tej said and clinked beer bottles with Roman.

* * *

 _Letty's, Saturday, 8:08AM_

Letty was jolted awake by the sound of her door being pushed open and a loud voice calling out to her.

"Mom, I can't find my jersey and the game starts in—! _Papí_?"

"I'm so sorry! I tried to stop him." Mia's voice followed closely behind. Letty turned, careful to conceal her nude body. "Well, well, well." She crossed her arms and leaned against the bedroom door, smirking.

"Everybody out." Letty commanded.

"But, _mamí_ , my jersey—."

"Is hanging up in your closet. Did you look?"

"Yes, but—."

"Mateo Anthony Toretto," Letty began, "if I get out of this bed and find it hanging in your closet, so help me—."

"Maybe I could look again." He said quickly and jetted from the room. Mia idled by the door with a shit-eating grin on her face.

" _Out_." Letty pointed. Mia held up her hands in surrender and turned on her heels, leaving the door open.

"You're sexy when you take charge." Dom teased, voice thick with sleep. He was rewarded with her small giggle.

"Shut up." She plopped back down onto her pillow and sighed. "So much for sleeping in and basking in the afterglow."

"So much for round three." Dom added.

"That, too."

He sat up just enough to kiss her lips, pushing tousled hair from her face. "Good morning, gorgeous."

Letty hummed. "Mm. Good morning."

He kissed her once more. "Time to get up."

"So it seems."

"You tackle the kid, while I handle breakfast?"

"Sounds like a plan."

And they did just that. While Letty made sure Mateo had on the right uniform for an away game, Dom scrambled eggs, fried bacon and mixed up a quick fruit salad. Letty forced a chewable vitamin into Mateo's mouth while she, herself, chomped on a piece of bacon. He drank half a glass of orange juice and protested the entire time.

" _Tía already made me drink some with breakfast this morning!"_ He'd fussed. Letty passed the rest off to Dom.

"You'll be at the game, right?" Mateo asked.

"Of course." Letty told him, kissing his head. "Don't forget to thank your _tía_ for driving you."

"I won't. Bye. Love you, mom."

"Hey! What am I, chopped liver?" Dom asked. Mateo ran back to his father, kissing him on the cheek.

"Love you, Dad."

"Love you, kid. Go kick some ass."

"Language." Letty said, taking the glass of orange juice from Dom. They fell easily into step, working around each other to make sure their kid and themselves were fed and ready to start the day ahead. That familiar feeling wasn't lost upon Letty and she knew Dom could feel it too.

When Mia finally left with Mateo, Dom took the glass back and sat it on the counter.

"You know we're going to have to talk to your son about what he saw." Letty told him.

"I know. And we will. After his game."

Next, he lifted Letty up and sat _her_ on the kitchen table.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"We have an hour before the game." He told her, pulling off the spandex shorts she'd thrown on.

"It takes twenty minutes to get there. And we still have to shower."

"So, we'll shower together. That leaves us with twenty extra minutes."

"Fifteen." She told him.

"Good because all I need is ten." He teased and kissed her neck.


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: This chapter and last week's were actually one chapter that I split in two, that's why they're a little shorter, but the longer chapters will return next Tuesday!_

* * *

 _Part XVI_

 _Letty's, Saturday 12:12PM_

" _Papa_ , you were amazing today."

"Thanks. I didn't think coach would let me play because I missed so many practices."

"I'm glad he did. They wouldn't have won without you." Dom told him.

Mateo suddenly got quiet and sat his sandwich down on the plate in front of him. He looked curiously at his father as he had been all day. Dom sat back in his chair and looked back at his son.

"What's up?"

"How come you were in Mom's bed this morning?"

Letty cleared her throat and Dom shifted uncomfortably in his chair. They _did_ want to talk to him about what he'd seen earlier. Now was as a good a time as any, it seemed.

"Mom and I had a sleepover."

"Like with movies and video games?"

"Not quite. It was more of an adult sleepover."

"Oh." Mateo replied, and while he didn't really understand what that all entailed, he was almost positive he didn't really want to know anyway. "Are you and _mamí_ married again?"

"Well, not exactly, but we do want to start dating each other again."

"Oh." Mateo repeated himself.

"Is that okay with you?"

"Does that mean we're all going to live together again?" His brown eyes darted between his parents, full of hope.

"We have to work toward that."

"With Dr. Klaus?"

Letty nodded. "And with each other."

" _And_ with you." Dom added.

"Exactly."

"With me?"

"Of course. You have some say in this too. We want you to express how you're feeling about us. If anything makes you uncomfortable."

Mateo was quiet for a few moments. He picked at a spot on his shorts before asking, "Are you going to have another baby?"

"What? Why would you ask that?" Letty wondered, concern lacing her voice.

Mateo shrugged. "A kid at school said that's what happens when parents are in bed together. They have sex to have another baby."

"Well-."

"What exactly _is_ sex?"

"Oh god." Letty breathed. She was trying to laugh at the incredulous look on Dom's face. The man was about to have a major coronary event. Letty had to put him out of his misery.

"Well, when people love each other, they want to express that love."

"Naked?"

Dom's mouth dropped open. Letty held back a snort of laughter. "Yes."

The next hour consisted of Letty explaining sex to their eleven-year-old son. By the time Dom found his voice, Letty had gotten into birth control options.

"Sometimes it can result in a baby, sometimes it doesn't."

"Why not?"

"There are a lot of factors. Ovulation, sperm count, use of condoms or birth control pills."

Mateo sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Whoa."

"Tell me about it." Letty commented.

"So, you and _papí_ are having sex?"

"Yes."

"But not to have a baby. Just to express your love right?"

"Right." Letty replied with a definitive nod. "I told you. You're my one and only baby."

"I wouldn't be mad if you did have another baby, but just not yet."

"Because you like being an only child?"

"Well, yeah, but if we all live together again, I want to be able to enjoy that again before another person comes."

Letty couldn't argue there. She was just happy he was being open and honest about his feelings.

"Deal." She stuck her hand out over the table and Mateo grinned. He reached over and tapped his fist against his mother's and they did their super secret handshake.

"Anymore questions?"

"Maybe later. I'm gonna go shower and do some homework."

"Just a reminder that David Beckham washes behind his ears, so you should too." Letty called as Mateo darted out of the room.

Letty turned to her ex-husband and smirked. "You know, for a man who's had a _lot_ of sex, you sure don't explain it very well."

"Did that really just happen?"

"Afraid so."

"Now I know why my dad just gave me and Mia health books and told us not to do it until we were eighteen."

Letty did laugh then. "A lot of good that did."

"I didn't hear _you_ complaining."

"That's because I did all my complaining to Mia." Letty teased and stood from her seat to clean the table. When she reached for his plate, Dom grabbed her arm and pulled her into his lap.

"You didn't."

She shrugged. "I guess you'll never know."

Dom grinned and kissed her lips. "Any complaints now?"

"No. Only praises."

Dom nodded his head. "Oh yeah. That's what I like to hear."

They shared a laugh until Letty kissed him again and then stood from his lap. She really did begin to clean then, stacking their plates atop each other.

"Speaking of praises, I have to go pick up my clothes for church tomorrow."

"Mm." Letty gave an exaggerated pout. "Are you staying at your place tonight?"

"Not if you don't want me to."

"I don't. But," she nodded her head in the general direction of their son. "I don't want to scar him anymore than we already have."

"He's not scarred, Let. He's curious. And that's how we raised him; to ask questions and never stop learning."

"I know. You're right." She headed to the kitchen sink, Dom on her trail.

"If you're uncomfortable, I'll stay at mine tonight and I'll come pick you two up for church in the morning."

Letty put the dishes in the sink and turned to look at him.

"You're doing it again."

"What's that?"

"Being a good guy. It's turning me on a little."

He gave her a brilliant smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. "Just a little?"

In response, Letty held her up hand, pointer finger close to her thumb. Dom pulled her close.

"If you want me to stay at my place tonight, just let me know. I won't be hurt."

* * *

 _Letty's, 2:33AM_

In the end, they'd decided that Dom would stay at his own place. But Letty couldn't sleep. She rolled around trying to find the comfiest place before realizing she slept soundly in Dom's arms the night before.

So, she called and woke him up and asked him to come over.

" _Just for tonight." She'd sworn, not only to Dom, but to herself._

Tomorrow she'd find a way to get to sleep without him. She'd done it for the past year or so, she could do it again.

Except, when he finally arrived at her front door at two-thirty in the morning, Letty found that she didn't actually _want_ to sleep without him anymore. When a tired Dom threw an arm around her waist and passed out in almost no time at all, Letty decided to allow their relationship to progress as it wanted. And if that meant Dom stayed over more, then she was okay with that.

* * *

 _Mia and Brian's, 3:01PM_

Dom and Letty were met with a round of applause in the backyard by those closest to them. Those from the neighborhood who just came for the food and fellowship were confused but generally unaffected. Letty discreetly flipped her family the bird.

"Yes, yes, ladies. I'm here. Settle down." Mateo announced, slipping his hands into his gray tailored slacks and smiling. His uncles laughed, and Mia pulled him to her, kissing the top of his head.

"Yeah, yeah, Romeo. Go get changed and we'll kick around the football." Ramsey told him.

"It's a soccer ball."

"Not in my country."

Mateo shrugged, accepting that answer. He hiked his faux leather backpack onto his shoulders and headed up to one of their guest bedroom.

"So, you guys showed up to church together."

Dom looked down at Letty who was already turning to look back at him. They had a silent conversation, deciding together what information they should share. Dom leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss. They turned back to their family, brows raising as if to ask "any questions?"

 _Yes,_ they were back together. _Yes_ , they were trying this again. _Yes_.

Han came from nowhere, it seemed, patted Dom on the back and handed both him and Letty bottles of Corona.

"Cheers."

And just like that, they were back. Mom and Dad there to be head of household, so to speak. It was normal, and so very _right_.

* * *

 _Office of Dr. Hans Klaus, Monday, 4:44PM_

Klaus laughed with Letty. "Well, I'm glad to hear that."

When their laughter sobered up, Dr. Klaus seemed to get even more serious for a moment. It was almost as he he were reading her body language.

"Look, Letty, I'm happy to hear things are going well, but it seems like there's something else on your mind."

Letty nodded once. "There is. Sort of."

He waited for her to continue.

"Last time I was here for a solo session, we talked about complex post traumatic stress disorder, and well," she struggled to find the best way to phrase her question.

Still, Klaus remained silent.

"Dom and I had sex."

"Okay."

"And now, I find myself ready to just jump right back in. Maybe I'm overthinking things, but isn't that unhealthy? I mean, it's bordering on a need for co-dependence, always wanting him around. I just… I don't know. I don't want to _need_ Dom."

"Well, I can understand that shared intimacy brings on feelings of closeness, especially when shared with someone we love. I don't that in itself is unhealthy. But it can become dangerous if you let it."

"Well, how do I keep it from becoming dangerous?"

"Continue to take things slowly. It's really just as simple as reminding yourself that there are things you both still need to work on."

Letty nodded, but Klaus could tell she was still worried.

"If I may be frank, so far, the process for you two has been a gravy train. The _real_ issues haven't come up yet. I'm not telling you to pick a fight, but one of the issues you felt hindered your relationship with Dom was that he didn't respect you or your decisions as Mateo's mother.

"I'm glad there haven't been any arguments about that, but if it does come up, I just want to provide you and Dom with the tools to get through it and come out victorious in the end. I know you don't want to end up in an unhealthy relationship that reminds you of your mother and father. That's what I'm here to help you and Dom with."

Klaus looked at his watch. "Well, we're out of time or today, but I'll see you on Wednesday with Dom."

"And Mateo, he'll be here for this week's session."

"Perfect. Then I'll see you and your lovely family then."

As Letty walked to her car, she found herself thinking. Dr. Klaus was right. His advice gave her pause on the idea of allowing Dom so much access to her. While she didn't have to have a guard up, it was necessary for her just create boundaries. Not only for herself, but for Dom as well.

In a sense, he had to _earn_ his place by her side again, and vice versa.

And the first step, was sleeping _alone_.


End file.
